tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, a conversation with the blues legend buddy guy. he is out with a terrific new autobiography about his unlikely rise from small-town louisiana to his place as one of the most revered and blues artists of all time. the new book is called "when i left home. we're glad you've joined us. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like

you. thank you. tavis: what an honor to welcome but a guide to this program. the blues legend has just released a terrific memoir about his remarkable life and career called, when i left home. it details his humble beginnings and as many collaborations with the biggest names in the music business. i am delighted to have you on this program. if >> i have been waiting a while. i told you, i have to do your show. tavis: i told some many of my friends the watch this program

every night, that you were coming on tonight, and i have told the story countless times. i am a music lover, i can hang out with friends, james taylor, the peking. the night i spent with you in chicago is one of the great joys of my life. that night in your club, because you play there. if you are ever in chicago, you play this thing every year. >> of the whole month of january. >> he plays this club every night. >> it will be so cold, you have to come in to see me. >> if you are ever in chicago in january, go see him at his club, you will not be disappointed. that night will live in my heart. >> the night that you showed

up, the mayor had never been there before, the secretary of state. i said, with eminent, all these people here i have to bring on a little bit extra energy. >> queue till that that night. i am glad that my friend and you hook up and you had a chance to do this book. before i jump into the story of your childhood, i will jump ahead. what is fascinating about your record and courier is the by the time you actually started to record stuff, you have already influenced his jimmy hendrix -- >> no, no. i'm being honest. he did not report anything before i left louisiana.

tavis: by the time you started recording, you have already influenced people. >> oh, yeah. i thought you meant to the records. tavis: before you started recording, you have already influenced the beatles, the stones, and you said, i have got to record my own stuff. >> i have learned a lot from the gray guitarist. i came up in louisiana and less of the became the can vibrate a left-hand like no other guitar player, and i want a player like him. they said ladies and gentlemen, i did not see a guitar player. he comes in the door with a 150 foot cord. i wanna play like him but i want to act like someone else.

>> you are so modest. if other people at the level of hendrix in the beatles and the stones are being influenced by your style, why did it take so long to record your own stuff? >> it was one of the biggest loser labels there were. they had made his music, and i have a plateful of turkey and i have nowhere else to put it, so they would play behind them because they were doing so well. monday waters when asked me to make a record with him. i said, this is how i wanted to go. i did not think i was ever good enough. i just want to go to work in the daytime and go play at night.

it happened that if you want to play, go on up there and play. >> i was so shy, i wouldn't even talk. not even without a glass of wine. tavis: how did you develop such a sense of respect or reverence for these players? >> if everybody would do that, we would have more to laugh about. they say you are legend, i said, what is that? that is something that is given to you, i guess if you stay long enough. there are lots of awards of one. i take this from the people i learn from, they should have gathered before i did. and those people played of the

music. i did not look up and say, i can make a lot of money, but i can make a decent living. when he came out of louisiana, i made a lot out of a peanut. they are from 5 cents to what it costs today. before he passed away, has said if it weren't for you guys, i could afford to buy guitar. and he made it at 3:00 in the morning. tavis: what was your relationship like with leonard the chest? how many people that might not know the history of chess records came to understand it

better when cadillac records came out. he got a better understanding of money and how all that they did , what was your relationship like? >> i did not see the movie yet, was there a lot of cursing? when i went there, i was a quiet young man and they would have the come play a session with the wolf. i would turn my head down. your to out and you're not playing enough, and i would not look up. they would come out and say i am talking to you. he said, i thought my name was a buddy. >> it would have been six weeks. >> it was very creative.

there was a lot of what they had done to their artists that i don't think he was the only one doing it. i think elvis would have lived a little longer. i live made all these great guys, they would give up citizenship, to there were still mad at leonard after he died. they were talking like you and i. and i sd, he can't hurt him now. whatever he did, he of got to let that go. he tried to understand, but he was mad. he was written him off. hi learned my lesson by saying

what they did to those people. i got a little better headstart then them. most of them did have much education, and my mother was taking it slow. i had to drop out and go back of plowing. tavis: you avoided most of the missteps they made by watching them? >> by learning what they went through. tavis: some many artists were wrecked off over the years. >> all of us. you have mechanicals rights and they would tell you straight up, i made you who you are. i won't call names, but they used to tell me, i made you because i've played your records. that means i anot going to pay you, but you're going to play

for me. tavis: i am amazed -- i should say impressed that through it all, you end up not just being a legend in terms of years ago, but you own your own club. that is a long way from louisiana. doffed that as a long way from picking cotton, and i didn't have the machine. the jazz and blues clubs were right there. jazz and blues musicians disappear. they have to keep something going. i am out there sang i can run the club, >> this is my word, not yours.

the challenge you have a hot about wanting to play jazz. if there as whole point where it was higher on the register them lose was. >> you had jean grouper, what we used to do, some had 2:00 lights and some have four. i can't wait to get out and go to jail. afford i did not learn nothing from a buck. i went looking for the notes that george benson played, and i will put it to you like this. i was looking for a dime and i found a quarter. i could not figure out what he was doing. i taught myself how to play guitar.

tavis: i m blown away by iconic artists that never took a lesson. >> someone just asked me in an interview yesterday, i think, do i practice? idon't recommend this, but have a guitar in my a bedroom that brought me here and it has just got it. i don't pick it up because i will get hooked on something that i will listen to spiritual 85% of the time, and i will listen to jazz and other 10%. and i will listen to country and western. my youngest daughter is in the hip-hop, and she says, do you know what that perlis saying? she is talking to fast. she said to sit down and listen to what they say.

i said, and maybe we can go back and sang some of this stuff. that is a record high called the dirty mother for you. they bleep that, i'm saying go back and sell a lot of records. tavis: when you say you listen to 85% is ritual? -- spritual? >> in louisiana, the churches didn't have keyboards, drums, guitars. we used our voices. the five blind boys, and could not pay to see them. the what those guys control

their voices like that. it is like the same chords you put on the guitar. hugh did not have to say that, you are making too much noise because the neighbor's house with 3 miles away. >> what was it like back then, for you? >> no hope. tavis: no hope. >> no, the parents did not want you to hear the worst part about it. it was something bad going on, and they knew they would not be able to less than a high-school. it was just enough to ride here name, that is all they wanted

you to know. i am here to tell you that's what it was. i just kept my mouth shut -- a lot of observing, a lot of listening. >> i learned everything i played by listening. >> you did of but maybe a dozen years are so ago in 1999, a boat that was sort of like a memoir or autobiographical. what is the difference between this one and the one before? >> i think everybody is great, it is kind of the true stories.

david put in a strong, the only thing he was coming up with songs, i noticed. you go back then and he says, david, you are not right. that song, he said i can talk to you. that is what we did when we finally got ready. i think it was like 16. if it started raining, you aren't old enough to know what the scratches on that thing that her. it was not right and you had to cut it off. >> how did you create your own style. i mentioned the people that you

influence before you even start recording. particular, a place like chicago and the gospel greats and so many of the blues greats, how do you create your own style? >> he was attacking me of so much, you have some great people, some blues people locally that did not stick with it like i did. a lot of guys right now, they said it is you, me, or the guitar. i grabbed my guitar and she left. but i was listening to everything and did not know what

i was doing until someone told me that i have a ton. people like from the louisiana smiling, that is all that stuff together. my learning, teaching myself, i was picking up a note from sonny boy and i would listen to the harmonica. i would say i am not going to kick it back up, i would say, i can't get that. five minutes, my fingers were bleeding. this said, you sound pretty good. ? i did not know that. why am i here with all of these good guitar players?

doffed they have confidence to come by, did you know we've got to follow? you have to follow buddy guy's tough of, don't say nothing like that. as i will never listen. i have a friends, a lot of them past and gone have would say, let me see the album. they put it of, you don't need it. what do you mean? tavis: you don't listen to your own stuff? >> that is something i already know, i can't learn anything from listening to me. something at home, that is how i

taught myself out of play. let me tell you the story. i graduate and go the ninth grader, i say, this is a, i am fixing to take music. there is a song by muddy water called louisiana and blues. i told you, i am glad to listen to it. he said, i will take the music. i said, i have a book 1. >> he heard that and said, i can't teach you that. i said, i can't come to your class. he was honest and we laugh about it now when i see him. >> are you still enjoying

whoring after all these years? >> is the light of my life. the worst part, before the big, i came straight from argentina. through texas. as a matter of fact, i was in brazil, went to argentina, then the texas. tavis: you are no spring chicken. >> but if you love people like i do, it's always a spring. >> i love that about watching you, because part of it is not just how amazing you are in concert. the people give you energy, you give them energy. the love is boundless.

>> they have some pictures that i don't have, i've played in africa. i got off the plane in 1969, what am i going to do? i was going to a lot of countries where there was an exchange from washington. i took a shot and said, you know what? i am just going to play buddy guy period quote and i did. and those people were like, how do you know what i am saying. it was amazing. those people don't speak a lot of english. it was sold out. the is why i said it seeks another language.

i forget about me. is there and i am saying, if you come out, i think i'd better just they didn't go outside and play for you. tavis: i love it, man. i love him to death, i love him to life. i cannot do justice to this but for your life or your legacy. let me recommend the book, it is called, when i left home, my story. it is a wonderful read and i haven't even scratched the surface. if you are ever in chicago, help you -- make your way. he plays their every night for the whole month. i promise you, it will change

your life. give you ever see him on the road somewhere, anywhere near you, go see this guy one time and i promise you is a life- altering experience. >> if you ever need me for anything, say the word. tavis: i will come running back to you. that is our show for tonight. until that time, keep the faith. ♪ >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org.

tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with and author on his latest new york times best seller, "imagine." >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be