PHOTOS OF PHIL GUY BY KURT SWANSON
E-MAIL: kurtswanson@juno.com

BILL'S BLUES BAR EVANSTON, IL
FEB 6, 2004

b. 28 April 1940, Lettsworth, Louisiana, USA. Phil, the younger brother of Buddy Guy, learned to play guitar as a child. He followed in Buddy's footsteps, playing after him with local artists Big Poppa and Raful Neal. He recorded as accompanist for his brother in 1957, for Neal around 1958, and for Slim Harpo (James Moore) in the mid-60s. He joined his brother's band in Chicago in 1969, and has been based there ever since. He has worked and recorded with many of the city's leading artists, such as his brother, Junior Wells, Byther Smith, and Jimmy Dawkins. Phil spent most of the 80s consolidating his own musical career, showing himself to be a tough electric Chicago bluesman, with a raw guitar style influenced by artists including Guitar Slim. He has recorded several fine sets for JSP; albums have also appeared on Isabel and Red Lightning. - Encyclopedia of Popular Music