When I Left Home cover art

When I Left Home

My Story

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When I Left Home

By: David Ritz, Buddy Guy
Narrated by: Mirron Willis
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About this listen

According to Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy is the greatest blues guitarist of all time. An enormous influence on these musicians as well as on Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, he is the living embodiment of Chicago blues.

Guy’s epic story stands at the absolute nexus of modern blues. He came to Chicago from rural Louisiana in the fifties - the very moment when urban blues were electrifying our culture. He was a regular session player at Chess Records. Willie Dixon was his mentor. He was a sideman in the bands of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. He and Junior Wells formed a band of their own. In the sixties, he became a recording star in his own right.

When I Left Home tells Guy’s picaresque story in his own words, those of a storyteller who remembers everything, including blues masters in their prime and the exploding, evolving culture of music that happened all around him.

Buddy Guy was born in 1936 in Lettsworth, Louisiana. He is considered among the best blues guitarists alive today. He lives in Chicago.

©2012 Buddy Guy with David Ritz (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Entertainment & Celebrities Music Celebrity Musician Guitar Chicago Louisiana

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Critic reviews

“Buddy has never failed to amaze me first as an artist and secondly as a beautiful guy…Long may he give us his gift.” (Keith Richards)
“Buddy Guy was to me what Elvis was for others…[He] is by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive.” (Eric Clapton)
“Guy is a vibrant and hilarious storyteller. With a natural ease and honesty, he captures the spirit of the age, the culture of violence in the clubs, and the personalities of his colleagues...Highly recommended for any fan of Guy and those interested in the history of blues music.” ( Library Journal)
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Buddy Guy has been a musical hero and inspiration for me all my adult life. This was a wonderful listen. 🙏🙏

Wonderful

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What a privilege to hear this humble man's life story! Love his music, and love this book. The narrator is a little cold, the book is quite emotional, heck its the blues book!

Very enjoyable

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First, I have to admit to being a big fan. Blues is the blood that keeps me alive. I was very excited to find out this audio book exists.

And it lives up to my expectations. A fascinating life full of the most wonderful list of characters that ever existed. Highlights for me include Buddy's first meeting with Muddy Waters and the poignancy of so many stars extinguished in the book's latter chapters.

Although I have read many a blues memoir, there was still so much I learned, so many stories from this humble, modest superstar.

If you like music, you should listen. If you like the blues, you must listen.

The Narrator is superb, a rich smooth voice that fits perfectly.

Looks like I'm gonna have to buy the book too.

A Great Bluesman.

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I walk whilst listening so never fail to be imbursed in the books ut this was a great story. Great insight into the blues and music business and how a young black musician felt at that time.

Fascinating tale of a Blues Legend

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Buddy guy tells his story, some great anecdotes about his time in Chicago. Chess records and Jr wells ..

Some stories about legends

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The bluesplayer's bluesplayer, Buddy Guy is often sited by many of the blues-rock hierarchy as a major influence their paying and style and Clapton even called him the greatest guitar player ever. Praise indeed. I guess many may be familiar with his musical achievements and eventual and much deserved recognition, the accolades and hopefully eventual financial reward in his later years, but listening to his story, you get to hear what an amazing journey he has been on. Name almost any famous bluesplayer, past or present and Buddy has worked with them all. I wasn't hopeful of this book, but once I started out listening I just didn't want to stop. It's an amazingly frank and colourful rendition of the major events in Buddy's life and if anybody deserves fame, Buddy has surely earned it. Buddy and BB are the last of the truly great American bluesmen and lives like theirs and the pathway Buddy took from the cotton fields in Louisiana to the blues clubs of Chicago probably won't ever be repeated. If you've got any interest in the blues, or blues-rock then this book gives an amazing insight to that side of the American music industry from the late 50's onwards. If you're a fan Buddy's you'll get an insight of how many of his famous tracks were cut, and time after time I found myself pausing the book to go and listen to the music before returning to the audio book. I was a tad disappointed it wasn't narrated by Buddy himself, but Mirron Willis actually does a great job and captures the mood perfectly. If there's any downside, it's that I was lefty wanting more. There a quite a few leaps in time during the book, and sometimes I though perhaps I'd got an abridged version; I wanted more detail. I'd liked to have heard a bit more about his family and relationships but these are glossed over in brevity, but in other respects the book is incredibly bare-faced and honest. If you have any interest in the blues or just want to know about one of the last great bluesplayers, then this

An insight into one of the last great Bluesmen

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Yes I love the blues, but what a story, what a life, I laughed, I cried, what a truly humble human being. If you love the blues and want an audio book you can’t put down, then this is for you. On an extra note the performance is truly amazing, it feels like buddy himself is narrating.

The best book I’ve ever listened to!!

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Wonderful and humbling to hear the story of this great inspiration to many modern blues artists. We forget how hard life is for some and how much blind faith played into their hands. Were it not for Buddy and artists like him, we would have such rich history in this music that shaped modern rock and pop genres.

Buddy Guy - a blues great

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Anyone who understands the speaking voice behind the notes and chords entwined in the blues.....a musical language that is felt in a way only those who lived the blues over a lifetime...short or long....will absolutely appreciate what Buddy shares.. thanks so much!!!

Brilliant...

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Great book about a great blues guitarist who comes across as humble and nice. love most of the characters but muddy waters has gone down somewhat in my estimation.

Great book, makes you want to play the blues

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