Buddy Guy: The Life of "The Legend" and a Story of the Chicago Blues

With a foreword by Eric Clapton, the definitive story of the last great blues giant and how his fearless guitar style shaped rock ’n’ roll and revitalized America’s greatest musical legacy

Buddy Guy is the living bridge between the Chicago blues and the global explosion of rock that followed. A sharecropper’s son from Louisiana who left for the Windy City, Guy was there when Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter ruled Chess Records, absorbing and pushing the music forward. He would become the blues oracle to guitar greats like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and countless others. And he would become the ultimate torchbearer of the blues.

Drawing on years of research, interviews, and access to Buddy’s inner circle, biographer Sandra B. Tooze brings readers closer than ever to the man simply known as “The Legend.” From London in 1965— where his performances helped spark British rock—to Chicago clubs and global stages, Buddy redefined the electric blues and still performs in his nineties.

Tooze captures Buddy’s struggles with racism and industry indifference, alongside his humor and commitment to mentoring younger musicians. And at the heart of his odyssey is Buddy’s promise to Muddy Waters: as long as he’s standing, the blues would never die.