In terms of giants of the blues who’re nonetheless on the market making music and including to their legendary standing, they don’t come significantly better than Buddy Man. In his extraordinary profession, Man has knowledgeable the work of numerous guitar greats from Hendrix to Clapton, gained six Grammys and been inducted into the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame.
Born on July 30, 1936, Buddy continues to take the blues to his beloved audiences with tireless enthusiasm. In June 2018, he added to his legacy with the discharge of The Blues Is Alive and Properly, that includes visitor appearances by such admirers as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Jeff Beck.
His summer season 2019 tour dates, together with stops with Jimmie Vaughan and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, stretched deep into the autumn. Then, simply forward of his eighty fifth birthday in July 2021, Man was additional celebrated with the PBS premiere of the documentary Buddy Man: The Blues Chase the Blues Away. In 2023, his Rattling Proper Farewell Tour was an extended goodbye certainly, stretching by many of the yr. And, in fact, in 2025? He had a key function within the blockbuster movie Sinners.
George Man, to provide him his beginning title, was born in Louisiana, however he has been one of many nice ambassadors of Chicago blues since he first moved there in 1957. He recorded for native labels quickly afterwards, and arrived at Chess Data within the final yr of the last decade. In the course of the Nineteen Sixties, he performed with Muddy Waters and have become enormously revered amongst his friends, even when his industrial standing failed to enhance.
‘First Time I Met The Blues’
Certainly one of Man’s first recording ventures was the apt “First Time I Met The Blues,“ a single release in 1960. “Stone Crazy” was, and stays, one among his early theme songs, and don’t miss the good “Snatch It Back And Hold It,” from the 1965 album Hoodoo Man Blues, recorded with the Junior Wells Band (with a selected nod to James Brown’s new hit of the time, “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”).
’Issues I Used To Do’
We get to pattern the power of a Man live performance, too, with “Things I Used To Do,” from 1968’s dwell album This Is Buddy Man. It’s additionally properly value searching for out his model of “Texas Flood,” first recorded and co-written by Larry Davis and later intently linked with Stevie Ray Vaughan, one other nice participant who regarded Man as a hero.
‘Buddy’s Blues’
Man performed with, and had a terrific impact on, the brand new breed of British guitarists who emerged within the Nineteen Sixties, and carried out at European blues occasions, typically in tandem together with his long-term recording accomplice, harmonica participant Junior Wells (heard right here on “Buddy’s Blues”). Nevertheless it’s virtually stunning to grasp that for all of his popularity, Man didn’t make his first look on the American mainstream charts in his personal title till he was 55 years previous.
‘My Time After A While’
The album in query, the Grammy-winning Rattling Proper, I’ve Bought The Blues, was launched by Silvertone, as Man lastly rode a brand new wave of appreciation. It featured such memorable licks because the title monitor and “Where Is The Next One Coming From.” That new profile was helped in no small measure by Eric Clapton, who paid Buddy again for all of his inspiration by having him as a visitor at his epic run of Royal Albert Corridor exhibits in 1990 and 1991, commemorated on the 24 Nights album. From that disc, they excelled collectively on “My Time After A While.”
‘Stay Around A Little Longer’
The Nineties albums Feels Like Rain and Slippin’ In have been each additionally Grammy winners. On the primary of these, Man teamed with one of many UK’s best bluesy soul vocalists, Paul Rodgers, for a model of “Some Kind Of Wonderful.” Man launched into another memorable collaborations, together with one on 2010’s Dwelling Proof together with his previous buddy B.B. King on the charming “Stay Around A Little Longer.”
“You’re the best that ever did it and got away with it,” Buddy tells his previous buddy, to which B.B. replies “well thanks a lot, you ain’t done so bad yourself, old boy.” We couldn’t have put it higher.
Purchase Buddy Man’s music on vinyl or CD now.
