Blues legend Buddy Guy recently took home two awards at this year’s Blues Music Awards.
Held on May 11 at Memphis, the Blues Music Awards awarded Guy with the Album of the Year and the Contemporary Blues Album prizes, according to a news release by the Blues Foundation. The blues legend won the two awards for his 2022 studio album, The Blues Don’t Lie.
Other award winners included Sue Foley for Traditional Blues Female Artist, Ruthie Foster for the Contemporary Blues Female award, Tommy Castro for the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award and Tedeschi Trucks for Band of the Year.
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram won Best Contemporary Blues Male Artist, making him the winner for four years in a row now. Songwriter Tom Hambridge also won Song of the Year for his writing credit on “Blues Don’t Lie,” the title track off of Guy’s latest album.
Featuring guest appearances by music industry giants such as Mavis Staples and James Taylor, the album is Guy’s 19th studio album of his solo career. Upon its release, The Blues Don’t Lie largely received positive reviews and was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Traditional Blues Album. The collaborative album between Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, Get On Board, took home the award instead.
Upon the album’s release in February, Guy announced that, although he isn’t retiring from music completely, he is retiring from touring. Active in the recording industry since 1965, Guy has earned eight Grammy Awards, a Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Medal of Arts and a Rock and Hall of Fame induction for his music. Throughout his career, he has influenced musical giants such as Jimi Hendrix, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Clark Jr. and Keith Richards, amongst others.
In an interview with Billboard, Guy openly expressed his frustration at the difficulty newer blues musicians face in modern times with breaking into the music industry. Referring to the genre as the “stepchild now,” Guyspecifically referenced FM stations not playing the genre as much on their radio channels.
“I don’t care how good a blues record you make — if nobody hears it, it’s just there. It bothers me because I’ve dedicated my life to the blues, and a lot of other people have, too,” said Guy per Billboard in February. “What did we do to be treated like that? I don’t know, man, but I’d like to see it get straightened out.”
