A Life Lesson from Buddy Guy

We went to a Buddy Guy performance on Sunday and he told us a story...

When Buddy was 15 he had to drop out of high school to take care of his family. They weren't well off, and he learned the blues all on his own, just working hard and doing his thing. Well, one day he went to New York and showed up broke and in need of food at a club. He told the manager he would play him a song just for a bite to eat. The manager, he says, I don't know you...but if you can play what I put on the jukebox, I'll give you a meal. 

So Buddy, he has been working his ass off and not giving up on his dream of playing the blues...and he plays every song that manager puts on the jukebox. The Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters...and he kills it. The manager says, I've never heard anyone play the blues quite like you do.

Buddy finishes his story and he says...it doesn't matter where you came from, what you did before, what you started out as...never give up on your dream. He says, I never gave up...I just kept playing and doing what I loved and now I'm standing here playing the blues for you at 76.

The next day Buddy Guy flew to D.C. to play blues for the Presidential Inauguration events. He's a living legend, one of the best blues musicians of all time. We can all learn a little something from him.