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Posted

The first time I heard of him & actually heard him play was many years ago when I lived in Chicago. Some of the great clubs in oldtown back then were incredible - you never knew who would walk in unannounced to sit in with the musicians playing on any given night. I was fortunate to see many of the greats - Howlin Wolf, Junior Walker, and yes - even Bob Dylan to name a few. It was awesome how fast the club would pack in people to where you literally couldn't move - word spread quickly who was "in da house" and bear in mind this was way before cell phones & the internet. God I'm getting old [crying]

Posted

As I've shared before, I got to meet the man in person back in the day; my day in the late 1980's or early 1990's. I actually got to sit down between him and Junior Wells and talk blues & guitars...

 

Talk about an aspiring Blues guitarist's wet-dream...

 

I was awe-struck and simply mesmerized by the experience and I felt like an acolyte meeting God!

 

He was the kindest, nicest, and most open performer I'd ever met. I happened to catch his attention back stage at a fairly intimate club and he simply invited me over to sit with him and Junior and I had them to myself for like 15 minutes and I simply couldn't believe I had stumbled into such an opportunity...

 

He may have still been playing his Guild Nightbird at that time, I can't quite recall because he didn't have it back stage with him. He introduced me to his wife; (at the time) the mother of his famous rap-star daughter; Shawnna.

 

Looking back I weep about it, but at the time I was so star-struck that I simply enjoyed the moment. Sometimes I still can't believe I got some personal me-time with Buddy Guy...

 

I think I stammered and stuttered alot and basically fawned about him, but he put me right at ease and started a conversation with me about my playing and told me never to stop playing The Blues...

 

when I think about his influence on Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jimi Hendrix, SRV, and the list goes on, I still can't believe I ever got the opportunity to chat with him for myself!

 

My story is just like he says; Eric Clapton being my earliest guitar influence, who led me to seek-out and come to learn about Buddy Guy, between those two guys are my biggest influences and I'd have to say I hold Buddy to be my biggest influence and hero!

 

I saw an article on Eric Clapton where he was quoted as saying; "Eric Clapton is by far and away the greatest guitarist alive!" That made me stand up and take note! I searched him out immediately after seeing that. If my hero Eric Clapton was saying that; well Holy Crap I gotta find out about this guy, and that led me down the road from which I've never returned!

 

I've been a disciple of his since the first time I ever listened to his playing!

 

I've had the distinct privilege of seeing him live at least a dozen times or so over the years and feel blessed to have experienced him as I have!

 

He's my all-time #1 favorite and biggest influence!

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