Buddy Guy is a legendary blues musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist, born in Lettsworth, Louisiana. He has been active since the 1950s, and is known for his passionate and fiery playing style, as well as his influential work in the blues genre. Guy has released dozens of albums, both live and studio, and has been credited with influencing a number of legendary musicians, including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He has won a number of awards and honors, including multiple Grammy Awards and a Kennedy Center Honor, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
| Birthplace | Lettsworth, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Birth Date | July 30, 1936 |
| Genres | Blues, Electric Blues, Chicago Blues, Soul Blues |
| Instruments | Guitar, Vocals |
| Labels | Vanguard, JSP Records, Silvertone, Chess, Cherry Red Records |
| Associated Acts | Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Miles, Otis Rush, Clifton Chenier |
10 Best Buddy Guy Quotes
“We have to have a picture in our mind of what we want to do, or else we won’t do it.”
– Buddy Guy, from Guitar World
“When I play the guitar I don’t want to imitate nobody. I want to create my own thing.”
– Buddy Guy, from Guitar World
“I just wanted to play my own style. I didn’t want to play that like other people, I wanted to play it like me.”
– Buddy Guy, from Guitar World
“I’m still trying to reach that pinnacle that I can’t touch, but I’m getting closer.”
– Buddy Guy, from The Guardian
“My mission is to make sure that young people understand that the blues should never die.”
– Buddy Guy, from The Guardian
“I’m still trying to play a note that I ain’t never played before.”
– Buddy Guy, from Rolling Stone
“I’m still trying to find a note that I ain’t never played before.”
– Buddy Guy, from Rolling Stone
“I don’t want to sound like nobody else. I want to sound like me.”
– Buddy Guy, from NPR
“It’s time to take the blues and bring it back to the people and keep it alive.”
– Buddy Guy, from NPR
“If I can make it, anybody can.”
– Buddy Guy, from NPR
7 Buddy Guy Quotes About Junior Wells’ Chicago Blues Band
“My best experience was when I was the leader of Junior Wells’ band. We had a lot of fun. And I was fortunate enough to have a lot of guys that could play.”
– Buddy Guy, from All About Jazz
“I never did a record with Junior Wells, but we played together for years. I was the lead guitar player for three years with Junior Wells’ band.”
– Buddy Guy, from All About Jazz
“We made a lot of money with Junior Wells’ band. When I was in Junior Wells’ band, we were making $1,000 a week.”
– Buddy Guy, from All About Jazz
“Junior Wells was a real good leader. He had a lot of great musicians in his band.”
– Buddy Guy, from All About Jazz
“Junior Wells was a real good harmonica player and he had a real good band.”
– Buddy Guy, from All About Jazz
“Junior Wells had a real good band and he was a real good leader. He was a real showman.”
– Buddy Guy, from All About Jazz
“Junior Wells was one of my best friends. We went everywhere together and played together for years.”
– Buddy Guy, from All About Jazz
8 Inspirational Buddy Guy Quotes
“The key to blues music is feeling.”
– Buddy Guy, from NPR
“I always tell people, if you don’t feel it, don’t do it.”
– Buddy Guy, from Guitar World
“That’s why I still do it. We can’t forget our roots.”
– Buddy Guy, from Gibson
“I’m not trying to be a superstar. I’m just trying to keep the blues alive.”
– Buddy Guy, from Guitar World
“That’s why I keep going. I’m here to prove that the blues will never die.”
– Buddy Guy, from Premier Guitar
“Music is supposed to make you feel.”
– Buddy Guy, from NPR
“Make sure you give the people what they want.”
– Buddy Guy, from Gibson
“I just wanted to play the blues, and I still do.”
– Buddy Guy, from Premier Guitar
7 Famous Buddy Guy Quotes
“You can’t learn it in school. You can’t learn it in a book. You have to have the soul to be able to play the blues.”
– Buddy Guy, from Rolling Stone
“There’s no such thing as a bad audience. You gotta give them what they want and then give them something else.”
– Buddy Guy, from Guitar World
“You just have to figure out what you can do, and then do it. That’s the key.”
– Buddy Guy, from Guitar World
“It’s a great feeling to see people of all ages come out and appreciate the blues. It’s a language that everybody can understand.”
– Buddy Guy, from Rolling Stone
“The blues is a language you can learn, but you have to have the soul.”
– Buddy Guy, from Interview Magazine
“When I was growing up, I was so poor and I wanted to be a musician so bad I stole a guitar by taking a wheel off of a wagon and putting it on a two-wheel bike and took it home.”
– Buddy Guy, from Interview Magazine
“I love my blues and I love the blues I hear today. I’m very proud of it. I’m proud that so many young people are playing it.”
– Buddy Guy, from NPR
8 Buddy Guy Quotes About Love
“It’s like a marriage. You have to keep on investing in your love.”
– Buddy Guy, from GRAMMY.com
“Love is something that comes from the heart and it cannot be faked”
– Buddy Guy, from GRAMMY.com
“Love is something that you can’t just say, ‘Hey, I love you.’ You gotta show it and let them know it”
– Buddy Guy, from GRAMMY.com
“When you’re in love, it’s just like a relationship. You have to keep investing in it and keep it alive”
– Buddy Guy, from GRAMMY.com
“Love is something that you can’t just buy and it can’t be faked”
– Buddy Guy, from Rolling Stone
“Love is something that you have to keep on investing in. You can’t just say, ‘Ah, I love you’ and that’s it”
– Buddy Guy, from Boston Herald
“I’ve been singing about love for more than 50 years”
– Buddy Guy, from GRAMMY.com
“Love is something that you have to keep on doing—working on”
– Buddy Guy, from GRAMMY.com
5 Buddy Guy Quotes About Life
“Every day you’ve got to look at life and say, ‘What can I do to make it better?’”
– Buddy Guy, from Chicago Tribune
“I think the best thing about music is it can make you happy or it can make you cry. It can give you a feeling of being alive.”
– Buddy Guy, from The Guardian
“If something happens to you, don’t worry about it, just move on down the line.”
– Buddy Guy, from Rolling Stone
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a white person or a black person, or a yellow person or a red person or a brown person. Music is the same language.”
– Buddy Guy, from NPR
“Life’s too short to be miserable.”
– Buddy Guy, from The Guardian
5 Quotes About Buddy Guy
“He’s the last of the great bluesmen, but he’s also a master of rock and roll.”
– Bruce Springsteen, from Rolling Stone
“Buddy Guy is one of the most important bluesmen alive.”
– Eric Clapton, from Grammy
“Buddy Guy is one of the greatest living guitar players.”
– Slash, from Grammy
“The blues is not just something that happened in the past. You can still see it every night in Chicago. The city is my home, and Buddy Guy’s club is my church.”
– Keith Richards, from Rolling Stone
“The thing about Buddy Guy is he’s not just a blues player, he’s not just a guitar player, he’s a feeling player.”
– Jeff Beck, from Grammy
Interview with Buddy Guy
Frequently Asked Questions About Buddy Guy
1. What are some of Buddy Guy’s most famous quotes?
Buddy Guy is an American blues guitarist and singer who has been a major influence on blues music over the past six decades. He is known for his passionate and soulful guitar playing and his powerful vocals. Here are some of Buddy Guy’s most famous quotes that perfectly capture his unique style and influence on blues music:
- “The blues is a healer. It’s an antidote for the blues.”
- “I want to make you feel like you’re dancing in the air when I play my guitar.”
- “If you want to go to the next level, you have to be willing to go through the pain.”
- “It’s not about being the loudest, it’s about being the strongest.”
- “It’s not enough to just be a good player. You have to have something to say.”
- “Music is a language and I’m just trying to find the right words.”
- “You can’t learn the blues in a classroom. You’ve got to live it.”
- “I always tell my students that the only way to learn the blues is to feel it.”
- “Music is a way to express yourself and connect with people.”
2. What is Buddy Guy’s background and how has it influenced his music?
Buddy Guy is one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Born in Lettsworth, Louisiana, in 1936, he grew up in a musical family and was exposed to the blues at a young age. He began playing guitar when he was just seven years old and moved to Chicago in 1957 to pursue a career as a professional musician.
Guy has been influenced by many blues greats, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and John Lee Hooker. His style is a combination of the traditional Chicago blues style and a more modern and electric sound. Guy’s guitar playing is characterized by fast, aggressive phrases, a wide range of tones, and an ability to improvise.
Guy has had a lasting impact on the blues genre, inspiring many of today’s blues musicians. His influence can be heard in the work of modern blues legends such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Guy’s musical style is a result of his upbringing and experiences growing up in Louisiana. He has said that his music was shaped by his parents, who taught him about the blues, as well as by his time spent listening to the radio, which provided him with a steady stream of blues music.
Guy’s music is a reflection of his unique style and his passion for the blues. His songs often feature themes of love, loss, and heartache, and feature his signature guitar solos. His music is a testament to the hard life he has lived and the struggles he has faced.
Guy’s music is an important part of the blues genre and has inspired many modern blues musicians. His influence is undeniable and his influence can be heard in many of the songs and guitar solos of today.
3. How has Buddy Guy’s Music Impacted the Blues Genre?
Buddy Guy has been a major influence on the blues genre since the 1950s. He has helped to shape and redefine the genre by introducing new sounds, styles, and techniques. His music has been influential in the development of rock, funk, and jazz music as well.
- He has brought a unique style of playing, often referred to as “fret-burning”. His signature sound is characterized by a mix of fast and slow playing and aggressive use of a volume control.
- Buddy Guy has influenced many blues artists, including B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. His influence on modern blues music is evident in their work.
- Guy’s influence on the blues genre is also evident in his songwriting. His songs have often been covered by other artists, such as “I Just Want To Make Love To You” by Etta James and “Feelin’ Good” by Muddy Waters.
- Guy is widely recognized as one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time. He has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and has received a number of honors and awards for his contribution to the blues.
- He has also been credited with helping to popularize the blues genre and introducing it to a wider audience. His music has been featured in films and television shows, as well as on popular radio stations.
Buddy Guy’s music has had a major impact on the blues genre. His influence is evident in the sound, style, and techniques of modern blues music. He has helped to shape and redefine the genre, and has introduced it to a wider audience.
4. What themes are often explored in Buddy Guy’s work?
Buddy Guy is known for his passionate and powerful lyrics, which often explore the themes of love, loss, and the blues. His songs often reflect the struggles of his life growing up in the segregated South, as well as his experiences in the music industry.
The themes explored in his work include:
- Love and relationships
- Struggles of growing up in a segregated society
- The joys and hardships of the music industry
- The power of the blues to heal and to transform
- The power of music to bring people together
Guy’s work serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of acknowledging and embracing one’s past, and the power of music to bring people together.
5. How has Buddy Guy’s influence been recognized in the music industry?
Buddy Guy is one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time. His influence on modern blues music is undeniable and has been recognized by many in the music industry. Some of the ways his influence has been recognized include:
- He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
- He was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
- He was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2012.
- He was presented with a National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2012.
- He has won multiple Grammy Awards.
- He has been named a “Legend of Live” by the International Entertainment Buyers Association.
- He has been honored by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
- He has been cited by other guitarists as a major influence, including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck.
Buddy Guy’s influence has been acknowledged and celebrated by many in the music industry. He is truly one of the greats and his impact on the blues will be felt for generations to come.
Conclusion
Buddy Guy is an amazing blues artist and an incredible guitarist. His unique style of playing has earned him many accolades and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His quotes are inspiring and serve as a reminder of the power of music and the importance of staying true to oneself. Through his music and words, Buddy Guy has provided generations of listeners with a sense of joy and hope. He will be remembered for many years to come.
