Buddy Guy Brings His Farewell Tour To The 713 Music Hall March 5th

Walker, B.B. King, and Lightnin’ Hopkins; when his family relocated to Baton Rouge, Guy had the opportunity to see live performances by Lightnin’ Slim (aka Otis Hicks) and Guitar Slim, whose raw, forceful sound and over-the-top showmanship left a serious impression on him. Guy started playing professionally when he became a sideman for John “Big Poppa” Tilley, and he learned to work the crowd and overcome early bouts of stage fright. In 1957, Guy cut a demo tape at a local radio station and sent a copy to Chess Records, the label that was home to such giants as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Etta James, shortly before buying a one-way train ticket and moving to Chicago, eager to make music his career.

Guy didn’t enjoy immediate success in Chicago, and struggled to find gigs until his fiery guitar work and flashy stage style (which included hopping on top of bars and strutting up and down their length while soloing, thanks to a 100-foot-long guitar cable) made him a regular winner in talent night contests at Windy City clubs. Guy struck up friendships with some of the city’s best blues artists, including Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Freddie King, and Magic Sam, and landed a steady gig at the 708 Club, where he became known as a talent to watch. In 1958, Magic Sam arranged for Guy to meet Harold Burrage, the owner of local blues label Cobra Records, and Guy was soon signed to Cobra’s sister label Artistic Records. Willie Dixon produced Guy’s debut single, “Sit and Cry (The Blues),” as well as its follow-up, “This Is the End,” but in 1959, Cobra and Artistic abruptly closed up shop, and like labelmate Otis Rush, Guy found a new record deal at Chess. His first single for Chess, 1960’s “First Time I Met the Blues,” was an artistic triumph and a modest commercial success that became one of his signature tunes, but it was also the first chapter in what would prove to be a complicated creative relationship between Guy and label co-founder Leonard Chess, who recognized his talent but didn’t appreciate the louder and more expressive aspects of his guitar style. While Guy enjoyed minor successes with outstanding Chess singles such as “Stone Crazy” and “When My Left Eye Jumps,” much of his work for the label was as a sideman, lending his talents to sessions for Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, and many others. And one of Guy’s definitive ’60s recordings wasn’t even issued by Chess; Guy had been performing occasionally with blues harpist Junior Wells, and Guy and his band backed Wells on the 1965 Delmark release Hoodoo Man Blues, a masterful exercise in the Chicago blues style, with Guy credited as “Friendly Chap” on initial pressings in deference to his contract with Chess.

Chess didn’t issue an album of Guy’s until the 1967 release of I Left My Blues in San Francisco, and when his contract with the continued on next page