Ushering A New Era Of The Blues With Buddy Guy

Buddy Guy recently shared his concern about what the new generations will do with blues music.  Buddy is afraid that the music might eventually die with blues masters like him, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Junior Wells. While he may not be able to see that blues music is still alive in many parts of the world, he does make a few good points about the blues legacy.  I came across an article where Buddy talks about taking matters into his own hands by being a mentor to young blues guitarist, Quinn Sullivan, as Willie Dixon and Junior Wells were to him.  It’s an interesting article that I think you’ll find interesting, plus I found a live performance featuring Buddy Guy and Quinn Sullivan on tour together at Red Rocks in Colorado.  I hope you enjoy this discussion about the future of blues music!

Buddy Guy sat down in an interview with the Washington Post to share his concern about the future of blues music.  Take a look at the full article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/guitarist-buddy-guy-worried-about-the-future-of-the-blues-taking-matters-into-own-hands/2012/09/20/bcb99080-031e-11e2-9132-f2750cd65f97_story.html.

After five decades in the business, Guy is doing what he can to make sure the genre — and his late contemporaries like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Junior Wells — lives on. Earlier this year Guy wrote his autobiography, “When I Left Home,” and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member is mentoring Massachusetts eighth-grader and blues guitarist Quinn Sullivan.

And Guy will likely garner attention in December when he receives a 2012 Kennedy Center Honor.

“He has expressed his fear that it may be all lost after he’s gone,” said Janice Monti, a sociology professor at Dominican University who studies blues music. “I think as he’s gotten older he’s incredibly aware of this mandate he received from Muddy and the Wolf to keep this all going.”

Guy says blues music is ignored in an entertainment marketplace obsessed with young artists.

“It’s a tough time for blues because if it was being played, other than satellite radio, on the peak hours, prime time, then somebody would know about it,” Guy said.

That’s one of the reasons the 76-year-old Guy took on mentoring 13-year-old Sullivan, who he said plays “as well as Eric Clapton, me and B.B. King. How do you learn that at that age? That’s a natural.” Guy has Sullivan open for him on tour and record on his label.

As mentioned in the article above, Buddy Guy has taken Quinn Sullivan under his wing as a mentor for the young blues guitarist’s music career.  Check them both out on stage playing together at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NOvULfm93A&feature=related.

[youtube_sc url=”http://youtu.be/9NOvULfm93A” height=”420″ rel=”0″]

I hope you enjoyed this discussion about the future of blues music with Buddy Guy and Quinn Sullivan.  Buddy makes some good points that we should all take into consideration as we attempt to share this genre we love so much with younger generations.  Stay tuned for more from Blues Guitar Unleashed!

Thanks,

Griff