BUDDY GUYThe Blues Giant

Biography•Buddy Guy was born George Guy July 30, 1936•Place of Birth - Lettsworth, Louisiana •Buddy’s Parents were Sharecroppers who grew cotton and pecans.•Father of eight children•Married and divorced twice

In the Beginning…

•Self taught guitarist.•Made his own guitar that he learned to play until he bought a Harmony guitar at age thirteen.•Buddy played professionally around Baton Rouge, LA. until about 1957.

Lightnin’ SlimMuddy Waters

B.B. King

T-Bone Walker

Musical

Lightnin’ Hopkins

Influences

Arrived in Chicago - 1957

LIFE IN CHICAGO•His goal was to go to Chicago to get a job during the day to send money back to his family, then to hit the clubs at night to study how his idols played and to see if he could do it.

•He looked and looked but could not find work.

•He was stranded for three days without food and went into a club where Otis Rush was playing.

•He got up on stage and played a number with Otis then began to wander out of the club…

“Well, I was walking out the door, and someone in the aisle slapped me. I didn't know who he was; I didn't want to be bothered. He said, "I'm Muddy. I'm the Mud." And I said, "Oh, boy." "Boy, come on. I want to talk to you. Somebody said you're hungry." I said, "Oh, Jesus, I'm getting mugged." But it was "Mud" he was saying, not "getting mugged." He put me in the back of the car and made a salami sandwich and convinced me that I could stay and be a part of what they had invented in Chicago”. - http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_oralh_buddyguy.html - American Roots Music – Oral Histories series.

•1958 – 60. Recorded with Cobra Records.•1960 – 67. Recorded at Chess Records.•1962. Hit Single “Stone Crazy” climbs to #12.•Serves as in house guitarists playing with such greats as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Dr. John and Koko Taylor.

First Successes in Chicago

•Produced about 10 Albums together•Toured worldwide. Opened for Rolling Stones

AWARDS•Served recently on the Hall of Fame’s nomination committee.•5 Grammy Awards•23 W.C. Handy Awards•Billboard magazine's The Century Award for “distinguished artistic achievement”•National Medal of Arts (awarded by the President to those who have made extraordinary contributions to the creation, growth and support in the arts in the United States)

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Inducted March 14, 2005 by Eric Clapton and B.B. King

In 1965, Buddy Guy performed in London's The Marquee Club. Eric Clapton was there and

remembered seeing Buddy playing the guitar over his head and with his teeth. These tricks were later implemented by Jimi Hendrix and

other guitarists.

Clapton has stated Buddy Guy “by far without a doubt the best guitar player alive…He really changed the course of rock and roll blues”.

In Buddy’s acceptance speech, he said, “If you don’t think you have the blues, just keep living.”

THE LOUISIANA MUSIC HALL OF FAME

In 2008 at Texas Club, Buddy Guy was

inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in Baton Rouge,

LA.

Composition History First Album Buddy made on his own

label which he named after his mother Isabel.

Recorded in Toulouse, France October 1979

Produced by Promoter Didier Tricard Original name was “The Blues Giant” Re-released in the U.S.A. in 1981 by

Alligator Records by the name of “Stone Crazy”

Buddy Guy – The Blues Giant•Recorded at Condorcet studio, Toulouse, France, on October 31st 1979.•Isabel Record Label – Created by Buddy Guy and is named after his mother.

Buddy Guy – Stone Crazy•Re-release and name changed for the U.S. Market.•Re-released in 1981 in U.S.A.•Alligator Record Label

Buddy Guy – Are you losing your mind?

•Click on the Photo to the right to listen to the song.

0:00 – Rhythm Guitar, bass and drums begin the song playing the melody softly and mellow.

0:03 – Lead guitar is introduced. Starts out quietly and slowly intensifies. It is interesting to note that on the majority of his music, Buddy Guy always plays a Fender Stratocaster with no effects other than what he could get out of his amp and pick-ups.

0:38 – Buddy groans as he continues with his solo. At this point the mood of the tune increases in intensity.

0:52 – Intro solo ends, being signaled by a roll of the snare drum, and as the singing begins, the dynamic of the band moves to the background so you can focus on the message of the song. As Buddy begins to sing there is just a hint of the drum beat and the bass.

Woman you know you got to be crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazyOr something tell me you just might be losing your mind.

1:10 - With another roll of the snare drum the second verse begins only this time with a slight increase in intensity and dynamic. You get the feeling that he is really upset and can almost envision the trouble he has had with the subject.

Oh you make me think you're crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, womanSeem like to me darling you may be losing your mind.

1:22 – Slight return of the guitar solo for a moment. The texture seems to accentuate his mood and almost mimic crying, as his frustration mounts.

The way you been acting lately baby, lordOh, you're 'bout to go drive me out of my mind

1:35 – Singing and lead guitar intensity systematically begin to elevate with every verse, expressing the loneliness, sadness and anger.

You know I sit in a dark room, yesMy tears rollin' down my eyesOh, you know you make me sit in a dark roomWith the tears rollin' down from my eyes

You know I can hear my little girl sayOh, my father is a hurt child.

2:23 – At the closing of the verse the guitar solo begins. The dynamic slowly increases in intensity. All the while Buddy is groaning in the background. When I first heard this, I thought it was strange, I then saw him the first time in concert outside at Red Butte Gardens and I was about thirty feet away and he really does play with passion and emotion. I still get chills listening to this solo.

4:07 – Solo ends and the next verse begins. The feel is more intense this time around. And the intense bursts of energy are more pronounced.

Oh, when I leave I'm goin' back southPeople, where the weather you know they suit my clothes, wow

You know I think I move back southYou know where the weather, you know that good weather sure suits my clothes

You know I've been here in Chicago so longBut in last two winters man you know I've almost froze

You know it snowed in Chicago'Till I could hardly see myself, he he5:10 – These two verses are the only verses that repeat in the song. I believe by doing this he is expressing the pain he must have been feeling about the relationship between the environment he was in and the situation he was going through in this tumultuous relationship with the Jezebel who was cheating on him. No doubt, a realization that he stayed around Chicago for her when he could have been back South (home) where it was warmer, and with less drama.Oh, you know it snowed in Chicago'Till I can walk down the streets you know and I couldn't see myself

Well you know I was tryin' to find my babyYou know she was right over, right over snowin' with somebody else

5:42 – Coda.

Buddy Guy – Outskirts of town 0:00 – Introduction. This song begins with medium dynamic, starting with the

drums, bass and rhythm guitar playing the melody, the lead guitar plays a solo. It begins slowly and increases in tempo and dynamic as time moves on.

0:19 – The first lead guitar theme is repeated, dynamic increases and becomes more intense.

0:50 – Theme number one is repeated again only this time the dynamic of both the lead and rhythm guitars as well as the bass and drum lines intensify.

1:38 – Intro ends and songs tempo immediately slows down and dynamic is softer as the first verse begins. Buddy sings with real emotion and intensity, almost as if he is anxious about something.

Yeah yeah, I'm gonna move baby Listen Way out on the outskirts of town

1:48 – Drum line increases in tempo and dynamic then returns after a strong hit of the snare drum. The song returns to the previous dynamic.I said I'm gonna move baby Way out on the outskirts of town Yes 

•Click on the Photo to the right to listen to the song.

2:10 – This next part of the verse the vocals increase in dynamic considerably, evoking great emotion, then by the end of the verse the dynamic returns to normal.You see we won't need nobody baby you know always hangin' round Oh baby, Yeah, Yeah 2:30 – As this part of the verse ends, the lead guitar begins to reflect the emotion of the text. It seems as though the guitar is actually speaking. The dynamic of the band increases and Buddy begins his signature moaning in the background as he rips off another face melting solo.

3:10 – The solo comes to an abrupt end and moves right back into the original tempo and dynamic as this next verse begins.It may seem funny honey Just as funny as funny can be But now if you have six children woman 

3:24 – As Buddy sings this portion of the verse his voice intensifies and the dynamic increases dramatically when he explains that he has to have all of this woman’s’ children lookin’ like him. You know i got to have them all all just looking like me 

Gonna move baby Listen 

3:30 - The song returns to its previous tempo and dynamic.Way out on the outskirts of town You see we won't need nobody baby Always hangin' round Yeah 4:00 - Tempo and dynamic slowly intensify.I got a little girl You know what She put me on that wonder And I wonder what's wrong with me He, hehe I got a little girl 

My little girl You know she put me on a wonder And she misuses me 

4:23 – 4:30 - Short guitar rif. Then dynamic of the vocals intensifies as the verse continues.You know she's alright with me I know Because this little girl she suits me to a tee 

I never want for nothing, no You know she brings me everthing I need Yes You know I never want, I never want, no I never want for nothing, nothing I tell ya 

5:08 – Abrupt slowdown and return to theme.She brings me everthing I need She's my satisfaction in the morning You know I love my baby Oh yes indeed 5:30 – Tempo and dynamic intensify. Lead guitar solo that rocks, moaning and groaning included. More chills and then some more rockin’ lead guitar solo.

7:00 – Solo ends and dynamic and tempo return to normal as verse begins. Obvious excitement is heard in Buddy’s voice from previous solo. A buddy of mine and I call the excitement during a solo jam “getting the Jimmi in me”, as in Jimmi Hendrix. More chills… Buddy Guy, I believe, can relate. Moving on to the next verse…I'm gonna move baby Way out on the outskirts of town Yes baby I'm gonna move Way, way out on the outskirts of town Yes I Am 

Oh you see we won't need nobody baby Yeah 

7:34 - CodaBaby, Oh a oh yeah 

Bibliographyhttp://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_oralh_buddyguy.html - American Roots Music – Oral Histories series.

http://www.livinblues.com/bluesrooms/buddyguy.asp - Buddy Guy Bio.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Guyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Guyhttp://rockhall.com/inductees/buddy-guy/bio/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Guy