Somewhere in the world today a young kid is picking up a guitar for the first time. He begins in earnest, taking lessons and playing along to guitar tabs and sheet music. It's likely that in the formative steps he'll come across and learn to play a blues song, something slow and simple to help him settle in and get his feet wet.
He may not know it now, but as he plays the chords and strums away, he's felt the impact of Buddy Guy.
As one of the forefather of Chicago blues, Buddy Guy, 68, has paved the way for generations of blues musicians.
From his earliest days playing alongside the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf to his rebirth as a solo artist in the early 1990s, Guy's influence is incalculable. While most artists today measure success through record sales, MTV airplay and groupie tallies, Guy's impact on the music world transcends such indicators.
In fact, a better indication of the seasoned bluesman's impact on popular music could be found by recounting the innumerable artists who grew up nipping at his heels, or maybe every musician he's ever inspired to pick up a guitar.
"I just don't know how to say 'no' to the guitar," Guy said about his love of music. "All those people who called me to play with them back in the day, it was like sayin' no to class. You just had to do it. I've worked with so many people and have come away a better player every time."
After nearly a half century on the scene, Guy keeps on 'keeping on' as he prepares for a stop at The Pabst Theater Saturday night. While his music arguably speaks for itself, Guy's stage presence has become the stuff of legend. Like a caged tiger let loose, he's a live wire of a showman with little hope of being tamed. But the mighty axe man is quick to admit that pre-show jitters follow him everywhere he goes.
"Oh I get the shakes real bad," Guy said with a laugh. "Every time I get set to step on that stage, I sweat it a bit. All I got to say is thank goodness for cognac. I don't even drink really, but I need it to get on stage. I've gotta clear the trail dust out of my throat."
Guy has touched a sizeable nation of musicians of all kinds over the years, not only through his original output as a songwriter, but also through his thoroughly expansive catalogue of covers. His flair for incorporating his otherworldly musical finesse on classics both new and old has been with him from a very early point in his career, he said.
"I think it was about 1961 or 1962," he said of his of his first experience with recording covers. "In the early 1960s, I was recording for Chess Records. It was around this time that the label got a taste of folk music. They were like, 'We gotta get down with this.' So they came to me and asked if I'd lay down some tracks that these cats had written. I wasn't gonna say no, so I went in and put a twist on'em. When I finished, Wolf looked at me and said, 'How you playin' that?' He couldn't believe it."
Over the years, a distinct blues savvy, combined with strong musicianship and an almost godlike state of reverence in the music community, has helped Guy's music slowly transcend into more mainstream arenas.
His 2003 record, the aptly-titled Blues Singer, earned him a Grammy, while younger artists such as Jonny Lang and John Mayer openly cite Guy as an influence on their respective careers. Guy, however, said the door swings both ways.
"Nowadays I've gotta keep two radios on just to keep up with things," he said. "Everywhere I turn I hear a horn, a guitar, a beat or something that just makes me say to myself 'Damn!' I play by ear, so when I'm listening to music or playing on stage with someone, I'm always feeding off of other people. Guys like (Eric) Clapton, Jonny Lang, and John Mayer are my buddies and we just give and take from each other, or as we like to say, rippin' licks."
The blues giant hits Milwaukee Saturday, marking his second stop in the city since he performed at Summerfest in June.
Fans should expect the unexpected, as Guy never takes the stage with a set list in mind. In any event, he's ready to let the good times roll through The Pabst this weekend.
"I just try to play the best I can," he said. "I never prepare a set list. People are very temperamental, you never know what mood they're in. Some days they'll say 'Man, you tore up that guitar,' and others it's more like they're ready to kill you. So I worry less about being the best around and more on being the best in town."
Buddy Guy and special guest Matt Hendricks play at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. Tickets range from $15 to $39.50. More information is available by calling 286-3663 or at www.pabsttheater.com.