If Chicago is the Blues Capital of the World, then Buddy Guy’s Legends might be the Capital Building. If Chicago Blues is your religion, then Legends is the Vatican of the Blues. Even if it’s only a Blues Bar, look for an anniversary celebration coming up soon.
If Chicago is the Blues Capital of the World, then Buddy Guy’s Legends might be the Capital Building
In life, after the Checkerboard Lounge, Mr. Guy opened Legends 30 years ago this month in 1989. I’m sure we can expect a celebration for this occasion soon. Next post I will share some memories of the Grand Opening of the New Legends, which also happened in June but 10 years ago.
"Buddy wanted the Blues to emanate from the Southside of Chicago"
That first club at 754 South Wabash had many Blues luminaries perform there. In the address, the designation South is key. Buddy wanted blues to emanate from Chicago’s Southside. When the club moved North, it never left the South Side.
The old club had the green room upstairs, but the public area was all on the first floor. It was smaller for sure, but there was a section for pool tables in a side room. The pool tables were on wheels and moved for more seating. The Stage had a wall on the artists right and a VIP section of seating on the artist’s left. There was a pillar blocking part of the stage, and barbacks bringing up stock from the basement would have a hard time finding room to open the door. Staff had a difficult time keeping lanes open for moving about. To me, it was a temple of sorts. Like the new Legends, it was a museum. It was crowded and loud and wonderful.
In anticipation of Legends celebrating their 30th Anniversary, I would like to offer some of my personal pictures from the original Legends. For me they do what photographs are meant to do: They conjure of memories. In preparing to share them with you, I often found myself staring and smiling and possibly shedding a tear. Some shots have an ironic poignancy that would be difficult to explain. If you remember these times, I’m sure you will notice this. Please enjoy and if you have a favorite memory of the old club, please leave a comment.
