Buddy Guy is a bona fide master of electric blues. Much like his early contemporaries Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, Guy moved north to Chicago as a young man and became immersed in the local blues scene.
He eventually signed to Chicago blues hub Chess Records in 1959, and although the label only managed to put out one studio album during his tenure – 1967’s I Left My Blues in San Francisco – he was recruited to perform on countless sessions for the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson.
Throughout that time, Guy built an international reputation for his incendiary live shows and inspired a new generation of blues players, including a young Eric Clapton. As one of the first blues guitarists of note to adopt the Stratocaster as an instrument of choice, Guy stretched the boundaries of what solidbody electric guitars were capable of doing early on in the late-'50s.
In recognition, Guy was honoured with his own Fender signature model in 1995 – the Buddy Guy Stratocaster. Originally available in either a two-tone sunburst or Honey Blonde, by 2002 it also came with Guy’s trademark Polka Dot finish.
During this incredible clip from the Guitar Center Sessions, Guy performs a masterful rendition of "Damn Right, I've Got the Blues” using a Strat (occasionally one-handed!) and shows us exactly why he has remained one of the world’s most revered electric blues artists.
The intimate location and close up camerawork in this video make for especially interesting viewing and give a unique insight into the raw, off-the-cuff musical genius of the original Chicago blues legend that is Buddy Guy.
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