About to say goodbye to the stage with two shows in São Paulo, the guitarist puts BB King on guitar and Bobby Bland on vocals of his imaginary group in an interview with Estadão
Last living legend of the blues, about to pass through São Paulo as the biggest star of the The best of Blues and Rock Festivalon 3 and 4 June, outside the Ibirapuera Auditorium, mister Friend86-year-old says goodbye to world tours by doing something unprecedented at the request of Stadium: Could you now put together the mightiest imaginary blues band of all time? “Sure, let’s go,” he begins.
Guy is the most magnetizing guitarist on stage in the history of the blues. Also in this interview, he gives his opinion about white guitarists, like Jimmy page, accused of “stealing” gold from blacks. “I don’t think they’re telling the truth when they say it.” Name the musicians who started off by imitating his style: “Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and (hold on) Jimi Hendrix.” And he says who, according to him, is the greatest of all: “BB King. Many of us only started thanks to him”.
Mister Guy, your latest album, The Blues don’t liedoes not appear to have been made by a man waving to the stage...
I didn’t have many pretensions when I recorded it, and I confess that I didn’t want to say goodbye. I just went into the studio and recorded the songs. My hope was just to keep the blues alive.
Guitarists don’t like to say they imitate other guitarists, but everyone imitates someone early in their career. Who did you imitate?
BB King. When he came out, I confess I freaked out. BB King changed the world when he started playing that guitar, and I know a lot of people just started playing because of him. There were many good guitarists before the invention of the electric guitar, but they were unlucky because no one could hear their instruments. Only the invention of electricity was able to change that.
And which guitarist started his career imitating you?
Oh, that’s a long list. to start with Eric Clapton, goes to Jeff Beck, goes through Jimmy Page and, yes, goes to Jimi Hendrix. But what goes around also comes around. I’ve met them all and even ended up being inspired by them.
Did any guitar player make you think about quitting guitar? Some say that Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan have depressed many guitarists…
I don’t know how true that is, lol. I can say that I listened a lot to the guitarists who preceded me in order to be able to enter a record label. Guitar Slim was one of them, who recorded a hit called Things like you used to. The moment I saw BB King shaking his hand for not using any effects, I thought I wanted to sound like BB King and act like Guitar Slim.
Could you form your all-time “dream blues band”?
Sure, let’s go: on drums, Freddy Bellow. On bass, Phil Upchurch. On keyboards: Otis Spann. On harmonica: Little Walter; on guitar: BB King. And, on vocals, Bobby “Blue” Bland.
As you said, the guitar hasn’t always been at the heart of the blues. Can we think that the blues has somehow used the idea of white guitarists to put the guitar at the center of history and make the blues a more planetary music?
I don’t know who to give credit for what happened, but I know that everything we have is the fruit, first of all, of what came from Africa. The gospel blues was organized very quickly in the United States and the voices were also imposed, in addition to the piano. Guitar strings started doing what voices did, they have that power.
People today talk a lot about issues of race and legitimacy. And they say that many guitarists have appropriated the culture of American bluesmen. Groups like Led Zeppelin, Cream, Stones or The Who would use blues songs without giving credit to the authors. What do you think?
People don’t tell the truth when they tell it. The Rolling Stones, for example, had a lot of responsibility when they brought someone like Muddy Waters into the media and entertainment.
Mr. Guy, maybe this will be the last time Brazilians see your show. What could you say right now to young people who are trying to understand what the blues is?
The blues is the chronicle of life itself, the expression of the times. If you have a good time, keep living. If it goes wrong, keep living. The blues is about this.
Check out the confirmed attractions for each day of the festival below:
JUNE 2 (Friday)
Thomas Morello
extreme
Bad
Nanda Moura
JUNE 3 (Saturday)
Buddy Guy – Damn Right Farewell Tour (Farewell World Tour)
steve go
The Nu Blue Band
Arthur Menezes
Dead fish
JUNE 4 (Sunday)
Thomas Morello
Buddy Guy – Damn Right Farewell Tour (Farewell World Tour)
Goo Goo dolls
Want!
Lim by day
SERVICE:
The best of blues and rock 10 years
Date: 2, 3 and 4 June 2023
Place: External audience of the Ibirapuera Auditorium: Av. Pedro Alvares Cabral – Ibirapuera – São Paulo
Classification: 16 years (minors can participate accompanied by a legal guardian)
Tickets: from BRL 450.00 (half price)
Online sales: Eventim
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
