George "Buddy" Guy was born in Louisiana in 1936. He moved to Chicago in 1957, where he became a mainstay in the South Side blues scene. He was the house guitarist for Muddy Waters. He later formed a band with Junior Wells as the front man. He also recorded a seminal album with the pianist Memphis Slim. Guy was a session man for Chess Records in the 1960s and 1970s, backing artists such as Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Because of his contractual arrangement with Chess, he sometimes performed and recorded under the pseudonym Friendly Chap, which fooled nobody. Blues fans in Chicago were well aware of Guy in the 1960s, and he was certainly recognized as a brilliant guitarist by leading rock musicians, but he did not come into his own as a solo artist until the 1980s. There is no doubt that Buddy Guy is one of the greatest electric guitarists of all time, ranking number 23 on Rolling Stone's list. He continues to perform as the sole surviving member of the original electric Chicago blues generation. (Don't miss a special guest performer at the bottom of this post.)
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Audio only: