Buddy Guy with special guest Charlie Musselwhite Sydney Opera House show announced – April 2014

Sydneysiders will be ecstatic to see that Sydney hasn’t missed out on seeing Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall-of-famer and six-time Grammy winner Buddy Guy, who will make his Opera House debut with full band on Saturday 19 April, 2014. Joining Buddy Guy on this incredible bill is the harp-wielding heavyweight, Charlie Musselwhite and band – this performance by these two legendary musicians will see the Concert Hall transformed into an unmissable blues extravaganza.

Bluesfest Festival Director Peter Noble said “There is no greater live Bluesman performing today than Buddy Guy….he simply IS the Blues. Every one of the truly great guitar players hail him as the best of the best. 2014 also marks 25 years of my touring with Buddy – Yes – I first brought him here in 1990 – the same year Bluesfest started and the year before ‘Damn Right I Got The Blues’ was released and his career went in to the stratosphere.” He added; “I am advised that Buddy Guy is going to be pulling back on international touring and so, as much as I would hesitate to ever say this is his last tour of Australia, it really is going to become more difficult to get him back to our shores in future.”

Considered the King of Chicago Blues, for the past 60 years Buddy Guy has set audiences worldwide alight with a style and sound that fuses the traditions of classic Chicago blues with the flash and fire of Rock n Roll. Armed with his signature polka dot guitar and age-defying spirit, the iconic showman has been cited as an inspiration to guitar greats Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton – who described Guy as “greatest blues guitarist ever.”

Armed with nearly 30 albums and recent recordings with next-gen heroes such as Keith Urban and Gary Clark Jr., the Louisiana native – ranked #23 by Rolling Stone in its “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” – has proved a true journeyman since the halcyon days of Chess Records, hitting stride with his ’91 breakthrough Damn Right I Got the Blues. This year the 77 year-old released his first double album of his career, the chart-topping Rhythm & Blues.

Formerly a session musician alongside Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, earlier this year the pioneer of Chicago’s West Side sound received the Presidential national Medal of Arts, performing his windy city swansong ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ at The Whitehouse with none other than President Obama. As Guitarist Magazine commented, ‘Without Buddy Guy, the blues, not to mention rock as we know it, might be a heckuva lot less interesting today.’

Special guest of Guy will be life-long friend, 27-time Blues Music Award winner, 7-time Grammy nominee and Blues Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Musselwhite with full band. The harmonica legend and master collaborator to the likes of INXS (‘Suicide Blonde’), Tom Waits (‘Chocolate Jesus’) and Ben Harper – last heard together on their full-length collaboration, 2013’s Get Up! – It’s going to be a night of classic songwriting, howling solos and timeless charm steeped in the American blues tradition. Visit sydneyoperahouse.com/music for further information.

“Heaven is lying at Buddy Guy’s feet while listening to him play the guitar” JIMI HENDRIX
“Legendary…the only word that suits this heavyweight blues harpist” TIME OUT NEW YORK ON CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

Sydney Opera House
Saturday 19 April, 2014