Thanks to Sinners and a busy schedule, he's also just plain vital.
"We'll make it a night not just for me, but for the folks who taught us, the friends we've played with, and the ones coming up behind us."
A heavily stacked line-up on the night will include Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Jon Batiste, Aloe Blacc, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr., Shemekia Copeland, Robert Cray, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, Billy F. Gibbons, Ivan Neville, Robert Randolph, Bobby Rush, Isaiah Sharkey, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jimmie Vaughan, Ally Venable, Willie Weeks, and Kim Wilson, with further artists and guest performers still to be announced.
Last year, Buddy declared himself the last man standing of his generation of blues musicians.
When he’s not on the road, Guy stops into his club regularly, partly to keep an eye on operations, but also to goose the business, since customers sometimes show up hoping he’ll take the stage whether he’s on the bill or not.
“I’m the last old man still walking and playing the blues,” he says. “That’s what we talked about with Muddy [Waters] and Howlin’ Wolf before they died. They said, ‘Buddy, please keep the blues alive.’ And I’m tryin’.” As youngblood blues guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram puts it, “As far as mainstream blues, he’s the last OG.”
Buddy was the first great blues player to bend the Strat to his will. He explains what makes it great
It is hard to believe it, but back in the ‘60s the Fender Stratocaster was not considered a great blues guitar. (Guitarworld)
Then along came Buddy Guy, switching his Guild semihollows for a solidbody that could be thrown around and take the abuse that comes with working with the greatest showman in the blues.
In this interview, he sits down with GW to talk about his signature Strat from the cover of the July 1991 issue, and explain just what makes the model great.
The Clapton Strat we hear on Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues – is that the same guitar that’s on the GW cover? If so, why did you choose it?
