Buddy Guy: Inside Chicago Blues (1990 Audio)
In Search of the “Real Buddy Guy”
This February 1990 interview with Chicago blues great Buddy Guy was conducted in a tiny office in his Chicago nightclub, Legends, on a snowy winter afternoon. It captures Buddy just before at a transitional moment in his career. Not having released any new albums for about a dozen years, Buddy was hoping for a big break that would allow people to experience the “real Buddy Guy.” Not long after our cover story came out in the April issue, Buddy called to tell me that it helped him get signed by Silvertone Records, which, in turn, revitalized his career.
Buddy covers a lot of ground in this interview. He speaks at length about his musical heroes and forebears such as John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Earl Hooker, Guitar Slim, Son House, and others. He details what the Chicago blues scene was like in the 1960s. He credits Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck for their kind words about him.
On the technique side, Guy discusses how he forged his own style and developed his distinctive finger vibrato. He reveals his strategies for soloing and mentions his various guitars. All in all, there’s a lot here for fans of Chicago blues, blues guitar playing, and the great Buddy Guy. I hope you enjoy it!
GP cover photo of Buddy Guy in the basement of his Legends nightclub by Paul Natkin. Thanks to engineer/producer Nik Hunt for filming the intro and enhancing the sound of the 35-year-old master tape.
Blues spoken here! If you’re into the blues, I invite you to check out the dozens of other blues-focused interviews and articles in this online magazine.
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Nice. I have that old guitar player magazine issue from back in the day.