Buddy Guy Biography

Fast Facts

• Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005
• Named a National Medal of Arts Recipient in 2003
• Named an honoree at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors
• Began performing with the band of John "Big Poppa" Tilley
• Initially learned the play the guitar on a two-string diddley bow that he made himself
• Quote: "Every night I pick the guitar for the audience and even if the club only holds 10 people who don't know who I am, they will when they leave․"
• Quote: "My children didn't know who I was until they got to be 21 because you have got to be 21 to get into a blues club․ They said, 'Dad, I didn't know you could play․'․"
• Influenced Eri Clapton's performance on Cream's "Strange Brew․"
• Worked as a Chess Records session guitarist for Muddy Waters