Blues guitar legend Buddy Guy is preparing to release his 20th solo studio album, Ain’t Done with the Blues. The 18-track collection will arrive on July 30, which is Guy’s 89th birthday.
Videos by American Songwriter
Buddy will celebrate his birthday and the album’s release with a special show at his Legends club in Chicago. According to a post on his socials, the bash also will feature cake and cognac. The NuBlu Band will open the concert. Tickets are available now at BuddyGuy.com.
[RELATED: Essential Buddy Guy: 3 Songs All Fans of Chicago Blues Should Know]
Ain’t Done with the Blues can be pre-ordered now. It features guest appearances by an impressive roster of respected music artists, including Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
Guy has released to songs from the album so far as advance digital singles. The first advance track, “How Blues Is That?,” features the guitar talents of Walsh. The latest single, “Blues Chase the Blues Away,” was co-written by Grammy-winning producer/songwriter Tom Hambridge and Gary Nicholson. That song features Rob McNelley on rhythm guitar, Hambridge on drums, and Glenn Worf on bass.
“This album is about where I’ve been, it’s about where I’m going, and the people I learned everything from,” Guy said in a statement. “Muddy [Waters], [Howlin’] Wolf, [Little] Walter, Sonny Boy [Williamson], B.B. [King], I could go on and on. Before they passed, they used to say, ‘Man, if you outlive me, just keep the Blues alive,’ and I’m trying to keep that promise.”
Buddy added, “Now, I can’t kick my leg up high as I used to, or jump off the stage like I did in my 20’s and 30’s, but I’m going to give you everything I got as long as I got it.”
About Guy’s Upcoming Tour Plans
This year, Guy has been on the road playing dozens of shows in the U.S. as part of his Damn Right Encore! tour. He currently has one more series of concerts on his schedule, plotted out from an August 6 gig in Tucson, Arizona, through an August 16 show in Seattle.
More Buddy Guy News
Guy recently made an appearance in the acclaimed 2025 film Sinners, written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Buddy was featured in a cameo as an older version of the character Sammie Moore, a blues musician.
Ain’t Done with the Blues is a follow-up to Guy’s 2022 album, The Blues Don’t Lie. The Blues Don’t Lie was Buddy’s sixth consecutive studio effort, and seventh overall, to top the Billboard Blues Albums chart.
Commenting on the status of blues music today, Guy noted, “They don’t play blues on your radio anymore like they used to on the big AM/FM stations. So things like the movie [Sinners], or performing out on the road, or making a new record, it’s important because some young people might see it or hear it and say, ‘Oh, I got to know more about that.’”
(Photo by Lyndon French)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.