Buddy Guy's 89th Birthday Party – Buddy Guy's Legends, Chicago, July 30, 2025

chicagoblueseditor
Aug 11
4 min read

Updated: Aug 12

By Linda Cain

Photos: Jennifer Noble

Buddy Guy Celebrates 89^th Birthday and new album release at his club Buddy Guy’s Legends

By Linda Cain

Photos: Jennifer Noble

Blues titan Buddy Guy celebrated his 89^th birthday and the release of his new album, Ain’t Done With the Blues, at his world famous club Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago on Wednesday July 30^th, 2025.

How do you throw a birthday bash for a storied blues elder who has “ been there, done that, is still alive and well” and who has been feted with multiple awards and honors over his long career, including:

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, eight time GRAMMY winner, GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement winner (2015), Kennedy Center honoree, Presidential National Medal of Arts recipient, Billboard’s Century Awards winner, 38-time winner for Blues Music Awards to name a few. And he has a cameo role in the hit film “Sinners” about vampires and a juke joint in the Mississippi Delta during prohibition.

What more does this groundbreaking guitar great – an iconoclast who influenced nearly every British invasion artist including Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards to name just a few -- need to prove or do at this point in his life? He could easily rest on his laurels. But as the title of Buddy’s new album on RCA/Silvertone label tells us: Ain’t Done With The Blues. Nope, not yet. Not even close. For the lucky fans, friends and family who got to see Buddy enjoy his birthday bash, the proof was in the pudding.

Looking like the sharpest 89-year-old on earth, Buddy was dressed in a snappy white blazer with black polka dots, a white cap, and black slacks. Many staff and audience members also dressed in polka dotted attire. Buddy’s eye-popping birthday cake was decorated to look like a vintage Cadillac with polka dots.

Buddy Guy’s affinity for polka dots goes back to his childhood in Lettsworth, Louisiana. He left home at age 21 on September 25,1957 to seek his fortune as a blues musician in Chicago; he promised his mother Isabell that once he made it, he’d return home driving a polka dot Cadillac as a gift to her. Sadly, Buddy’s Mom passed away long before her son found success as a bluesman. And so Buddy remembers and honors her by wearing polka dots and playing a polka dot Fender. And so did his 89^th birthday cake!

Chicago Blues Guide’s head photographer Jennifer Noble was there to photograph and report on the festivities at Legends:

“Buddy Guy turned 89 and celebrated at his club Buddy Guy Legends by signing copies of his new album release, Ain’t Done with the Blues. There were long lines out the door, with fans all hoping to meet and greet the birthday blues star and buy his new release. And inside the club was packed.

Buddy did take a few breaks to come up on stage including when his polka dotted Cadillac cake was lit up with candles. Many of Buddy Guy’s family members were on stage to sing Happy Birthday to him. When the spirit moved him, Buddy grabbed a mic and ventured into the audience to sing medleys and snippets of blues classics like “Slippin Out, Slippin In,” “Love Her With A Feeling,” “ Mojo Working,” “She’s 19 Years Old,” “Move to the Outskirts of Town.” He also included some salty language for good measure that got the audience giggling. His voice was as strong and clear as it was in his younger days.

And of course he began the celebration by downing a shot of his favorite Remy Martin XO cognac on stage, a time-honored Buddy ritual.

The night started out with talented guitarist Carlos Showers doing a superb solo set. Next up was singer and daughter of Buddy, Carlise Guy and the NuBlu Band who performed an energetic set. When guitarist Marcil Maddox came off stage to play for the audience, Carlise Guy followed and handed out two dozen roses to members of the audience. Then at the end of their set she invited everyone who had a rose to come up on stage to dance. What fun that was!

After the NuBlu Band, came Chicago blues treasure Jimmy Burns, as it was Jimmy’s regularly scheduled Wednesday jam night. Buddy came up to sing a bit with the Jimmy Burns band. After a break, a couple of unknown guys came up and sang some songs acapella. Then to close out the night, Ronnie and Wayne Baker Brooks, along with Billy Branch, performed an outstanding set. And just when you thought Buddy Guy wasn’t going to come on stage any more on his birthday, he came back up because he heard such good down home Chicago blues from Wayne, Ronnie and Billy!

There were so many roads closed because of Lollapalooza, it was a challenge to get to Buddy Guy’s club (it took two hours, when I live 20 minutes away!) Nevertheless, it was worth it. It was a night to remember!”