At Blues Matters HQ, we’ve covered thousands of gigs over the years. Very few have made us stop and think, “I wish we were there.” Buddy Guy’s 90th birthday celebration is one of them.
When the blues legend takes to the stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on 1 October, he’ll be joined by a line-up that most festivals could only dream of.
Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Gary Clark Jr., John Mayer, Billy F Gibbons, Robert Cray, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, Bobby Rush, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robert Randolph, Jimmie Vaughan, Shemekia Copeland, Jon Batiste, Aloe Blacc, Ivan Neville, Kim Wilson and Willie Weeks are all confirmed to appear, with more special guests still to be announced. The evening will also feature Steve Jordan as musical director.
It’s difficult to think of another blues concert that has brought together so many artists who have all been influenced by the same musician.
For more than seven decades, Buddy Guy has inspired generations of guitarists, from Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck to Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr. His influence reaches far beyond the blues, making this celebration feel less like a birthday concert and more like a thank you from the musicians whose own careers were shaped by his playing.
For Blues Matters writer Stephen Harrison, the announcement immediately brought back memories of another landmark music event.
“If, like me, you remember Live Aid in 1985, you’ll remember what it felt like to see so many incredible artists sharing the same stage. This has that same feeling for blues fans.
“I’ve been listening to Buddy Guy since I was 14 years old and I’ve been lucky enough to interview or see many of the artists on this bill. To have them all together on one stage at Radio City Music Hall is something I never thought I’d see.
“There will probably be a live album and film afterwards, at least I hope there is, but nothing will ever match being in that room on the night.”
If there is one blues concert that deserves to be called unmissable, this is probably it.
Tickets go on general sale on 26 June.
For tickets and more information, visit: https://buddyguy90.com
