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Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richards idolized him. Eric Clapton called him 鈥渢he best guitar player alive.鈥� Nine-time Grammy winner and Kennedy Center honoree George 鈥淏uddy鈥� Guy may not be a household name, but for generations of musicians, he鈥檚 a living legend.

Many younger fans recognize the guitarist from his emotionally charged cameo at the end of the 2025 blockbuster horror film, 鈥淪inners,鈥� directed by Ryan Coogler.

When Guy performs at Popejoy Hall on Sunday, Sept. 13, he will be 90 years old. But he still plays with as much passion as ever, he said.

鈥淚 feel like, if I can鈥檛 give you (your money鈥檚) worth when you pay to come see me, I think I鈥檓 cheating you,鈥� Guy said. 鈥溾�� Because when you go to buy a loaf of bread, you鈥檙e looking for a loaf of bread. You鈥檙e not looking for half a loaf.鈥�

Guy said he鈥檚 been inspired by musicians such as Mississippi Fred McDowell and B.B. King, who continued to give energetic performances even in their final years.

Born on a cotton plantation in rural Louisiana, the future electric guitar virtuoso grew up without electricity.

鈥淢y parents couldn鈥檛 afford a guitar or (even) a harmonica, but I used to take rubber bands and stretch them by my ear,鈥� Guy said.

Later, he made an improvised one-string guitar with wire from an old mesh screen, which he wrapped between two nails.

鈥淢y daddy finally got one of those old phonographs that you had to crank up 鈥� and I got my first record, called 鈥楤oogie Chillen鈥� by John Lee Hooker,鈥� Guy said. 鈥淚 said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know what (kind of music) that is, but whatever it is, I sure would like to learn that鈥� 鈥� not to get paid, but just to get attention. ... I just wanted to do something no other kid was doing. And that鈥檚 been my thing all my life.鈥�

Guy didn鈥檛 see a real electric guitar until his family moved to Baton Rouge when he was 13 or 14, he said. Otis Verries Hicks, known professionally as Lightnin鈥� Slim, happened to be playing Guy鈥檚 favorite song, 鈥淏oogie Chillen,鈥� on the porch of a one-room grocery store in town. So, Guy saved up his meager weekly allowance to watch Lightnin鈥� Slim perform, learning guitar by observation alone.

Not long afterwards, Guy discovered a guitarist with a similar monicker 鈥� Guitar Slim 鈥� who played at juke joints in flashy red suits, using a 100-foot cord that allowed him to wander freely through the crowd. Guitar Slim鈥檚 showmanship was an important early influence on Guy.

鈥淚 said, 鈥楳an, if I ever learn how to play, I want to play like B.B. King, but I want to act like Guitar Slim,鈥欌�� Guy recalled.

By the time he moved to Chicago in 1957, the 21-year-old musician had perfected many of Guitar Slim鈥檚 tricks, such as playing behind his back. Guy鈥檚 prodigious talent earned him the respect of bluesman Muddy Waters, 23 years his elder, who took him under his wing. Before long, Guy was recording with Waters, Ike Turner, Howlin鈥� Wolf and others, and by 1959, he had signed with Chess Records.

Over the next decade, Guy became well known for the high-energy theatrics of his live shows.

鈥淚 was going crazy with the guitar then 鈥� all behind my head, behind my back. As a matter of fact, (one time) I threw it up in the air, and somebody put a spotlight on me, and I missed it. It hit the floor. They thought I did it on purpose,鈥� Guy said. 鈥淪o, I (figured) I might as well just jump down on the floor, and I laid down and played for a while.鈥�

Such raucous performances influenced Jimi Hendrix, who flew to New York City in 1968 to watch him live.

鈥淚鈥檇 finally made it to New York, and I was playing at this small club,鈥� Guy said. 鈥淪omebody said, 鈥楬ey, man, Jimi Hendrix is here,鈥� and I said, 鈥榃ho the hell is that?鈥� He had a reel-to-reel tape (to record the show). And he said, 鈥業 canceled my gig in Europe, because I wanted to see you play.鈥欌��

Guy later told Hendrix the story about tossing his guitar up and having it accidentally hit the floor.

鈥淗e just cracked up about that,鈥� Guy said.

Last year鈥檚 hit movie 鈥淪inners鈥� gave Guy an unexpected jolt of late-career fame.

鈥淚 was more surprised than anybody else. I didn鈥檛 know I was gonna get recognized, because they only brought me in at the end of the movie,鈥� Guy said. 鈥溾�� But I think it helped me a lot. Some young people who didn鈥檛 know who I was will walk up to me now鈥� and start stammering like John Lee Hooker, 鈥榊-y-you were in a movie.鈥� So, I just sit back and smile, and sometimes cover my eyes, because 鈥� well, better late than never.鈥�

Recently, he was shopping at his local grocery store, and a woman who had been serving him there for 35 years started screaming.

鈥淚 said, 鈥榃ait a minute, I ain鈥檛 stole nothing.鈥� And she said, 鈥楴o, you鈥檙e in that movie 鈥� I鈥檝e been serving you all this time, and I didn鈥檛 know you could play music!鈥欌��

Guy said some people have a misconception that blues songs are all about sadness, but his mission, he said, has always been to make people smile.

鈥淚 will come on that stage and watch faces. If I see a frown on your face, I鈥檒l say, 鈥楤uddy Guy, you鈥檝e got to hit a note and get that frown off that person鈥檚 face.鈥� And I鈥檒l be watching,鈥� Guy said. 鈥淪ooner or later鈥� I鈥檒l look at you, and if I see a smile on your face, I鈥檒l say, 鈥業 did what I came here to do.鈥欌��

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .