Buddy Guy

Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy, whose real name is George Guy, was born in 1936 in Louisiana. As an adolescent, he played with bands in Baton Rouge and moved to Chicago at age twenty-one to pursue his career. Winning a record contract through a musical contest, Guy signed with Chess Records in 1959 but had creative differences with the label. After mostly serving as a session guitarist for established blues acts like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Koko Taylor, Guy finally achieved recognition in the late 1980s, when his style of blues experienced a revival. Once Eric Clapton asked him to join the lineup of a blues festival at the Royal Albert Hall, Guy soon received a contract with Silvertone Records and eventually put out dozens of albums featuring his Chicago-style blues with elements of soul and jazz. Among his many accolades are six Grammy Awards, the U.S. President’s National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Guy owns and performs at the popular Chicago blues club, Buddy Guy’s Legends. Recently, Guy famously convinced President Barack Obama to join him in singing “Sweet Home Chicago.”