Roy and another tele master Danny Gatton were never going to be household names like a lot of lesser guitar gods today you know who i mean they didn,t fit the profile they didn,t do the look at me im a guitar god poses or have the big hair they were mavericks who done their own thing they didn,t shred a hundred bullshit notes a second so they weren,t air guitar friendly and both of them were the least likely men in the world to be virtuoso guitarists.
Sounds like he suffered from Depression, or was Bi-Polar. One of the musician/acquaintances mentioned that sonething mustʻve happened in his upbringing. Thereʻs a scene in the 1971 PBS Documentary on Roy, where he comes to visit his mother, and the way they cried and embraced each other was so moving…there was definitely a bind forged by hardship, but tempered by the comfort they gave each other.
Saw roy twice in Pittsburgh,,he was awesome,,came every year to Pittsburgh around Christmas,,I bought him a beer and he drank it on stage,,Stanley theater around 82 83,,,,,miss you roy
How many guitarists do you think went out and bought a Telecaster to copy Roy,s sound. And then give up because the notes Roy playes are not on their guitar
I have seen several documentaries on Roy, and once again, no mention of Charlie Daniels. I copied and pasted this from Vintage Guitar just in case anyone is interested.-----At some point rocker Charlie Daniels signed Roy to record a studio album for Polydor Records, and they assembled enough tracks in Nashville, but Buchanan canned the LP, complaining that Daniels had made him sound too much like everyone else (four tracks turned up on Polygram’s 1992 collection, Sweet Dreams). Buchanan later told journalist Tom Zito that at this point he turned down - through Daniels - a job offer from the Rolling Stones stemming from Brian Jones’ death in July 1969. It’s a great story: a guitarist too hot, too disinterested in fame to join the Stones. Unfortunately, Daniels himself told me he had never even heard that story, nor spoken to the Stones. Could this oft-repeated tale simply be one of Roy’s “greatest hits,” one of the greatest stories ever told in rock and roll circles?---- It would be nice to hear more about this time and his work with Charlie.
I clicked this because the name "Roy Buchanan" is a genuine innovator of originality and inspiration for the serious sound-hound lick stealers, interested in the phenomenal harmonic qualities captured with a feather touch. I can say this as I remain in disbelief at what Roy was doing as opposed to hackers that make...well, their own attempts at his manual dexterity. Roy's abilities were remarkably standout out stuff, his sound crayons sparked clever attempts by Robbie Robertson, Jimi...staggering sounds of the veritable wizards of 6 strings, Guitar was pulled from the strum to the crystalizing boogie or the woman scream.
I saw Roy twice at Salisbury State College, 1st time I was on LSD 25 from MIT, the second time I saw him I was straight, both times when he played tears rolled down my face and I could not control it.
I met Roy Buchanan arie crown theater 1972 in person behind stage an watched him play half way through the second song he stopped the band and told the audience to come down and sit in front so the concert went on I actually sat 10 ft from him behind stage I'm 72 yrs old and remember that moment as it was yesterday he is in a category musician that I haven't heard 54 yes 1972
I saw Roy perform in 1971 or '72 at a large venue in Wash. DC. It was coordinated by Nils Lofgren - who jammed with him. Roy's band was called The Snakestretchers. I was a strat playing guitarist with my own R&B band in DC. Great concert. My favorite number was his version of Sweet Dreams. I was smitten.
I am sure he did not take his own life. It is total BS. The cops did this to him and set it up to look like a suicide. Johnny told me he thought the same. Why would he kill himself when he had his new name guitar to play and lots to look forward to? All of his kids were fully grown and out of the house. It was just he and Judy and Judy was given half of his performance fee which was 3000.00 a night. He had no reason to commit suicide and it all points to the Fairfax police doing him in. PS...Judy was the one who called the police because she didn't't like the guy Roy had brought home. This is the true story. She initiated the police being involved. Her telling Roy she would pick him up in the morning tells us exactly how much she knew he was non violent. That his death happened just shortly after he was in jail in a "holding cell" also explains a whole lot as he could not have hung himselg with his own T shirt from a grating which was only 4 1/2 feet from the floor. He was far too over weight with a large belly and was still high from drinking and most likely incapable of even figuring out how to tie himself up with his own T-shirt....Just trying to tie a T shirt alone is extremely hard to do. Placing it around your neck and tying it with your hands above and behind your neck is even more difficult. Especially if you are drunk. He was NOT an aggressive person as explained throughout these segments. The timeline does not allow for this to happen. But having the police do a choke hold on him certainly ties it all together quite perfectly.
I played with Carey with Johnny being the road manager.. We did the final California Tour in 1988. I was subbing for Vince Santoro , his usual drummer.
Ultimately they should have done albums featuring Roy with other world class guitarists like Danny Gatton, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Steve Morse, Albert Lee, and many others who would have lifted Roy's sound and choice of songs far higher than it was happening. Add some killer pedal steel players and lead singers and you would have had a monster album to offer the world rather than the same old stuff of playing over basic I-IV-V chord progressions. Danny Gatton's records were terrific and cutting edge. Roy and Danny were the two great guitarists in the DC / Maryland area for years. Bottom line is you have to have great songs. Coupled with a well chosen rhythm section or two or more and the artistry of other lead guitar players blended in with Roy's sound and natural flair for music. I played with Roy on some of his last gigs on a California Tour in 1988. I recorded 2 of those gigs we did in El Toro at the Coach House and in San Diego at The Bachanal on the board on cassette. Recently I transferred them to a digital format and had the lows miss and highs boosted to beef up the sound. The result is 2 complete shows sounding like a "live" concert album..
What If Roy was chosen to be one of the guitar players on Al Kooper's album called Super Sessions with Steve Stills & Mike Bloomfield. He would have killed on that album and fit right in sound wise.
Roy had his own "Blues" voice on his guitar...an amalgamation of many unique styles ....a potpourri of sounds, riffs, bends, squeals, all played in accurate precision in every style. He wasn't a singer but he did sing. He didn't compose music but he copied others applying his style into them. he influenced some of the greatest guitar players such as Jeff Beck.
Saw Roy a bunch of times but the gig in Morristown N j was the craziest……. Roy had a 12 pac of Heineken bottles and after chugging one proceeded to throw them full speed at the stage hands and then laugh his ass off ……. Priceless!!!
Roy Buchanan is one of the most unique guitarists Ive heard and Ive heard quite a few. I think he was in a class of his own. I can hear his attitude in his playing. The only other guitarist like Roy, who played it his way and nobody elses was Jeff Beck. Apart from Beck I cant think of anyone else to compare him too and Im not happy to compare Roy with anybody but I do think Buchanan and Beck shared the lonely road of greatness. It's sad the way it ended for Roy. It's also mysterious. I love Roy Buchanan,s playing. Like I said he was in a class of his own when playing his guitars but not all guitarist,s become a commercial success like Eric Clapton but like I said, nobody else played like Roy Buchanan. RIP.
Thank you for this documentary. His music has always touched me to the bone- and then some- ever since I first heard him on the radio as a young teenager in 1974. What I heard really blew me away. I really related to his sound and feeling. RIP dear one. Thank you.
You can get caught up in all these technical players,and they are fantastic,and they fill your brain with speed,and technical perfection,then its time to hear Albert,Roy,and Jimi,and the realization that their perfection,is musical gifts,that are there extrapolation only,when I think of Roy,I see a butterscotch Tele,but also the fact of him not being around to look up to
My late brother-a fine guitar player-introduced me to Roy via his first few albums...at the time, I did not particularly like his sound, likely because of that Telecaster he used. I still do not like the type of sound a tele gives out...but I have come to respect Roy's special gift of brilliance! Danny Gattin was another astonishing player from that area of the country. What was all that wellspring of greatness all about? And why do such talented people choose to end their lives?
Probably going to get trashed for saying this, but Roy had some great moments, but there were too many times when I thought what the hell has this to do with music. Each to their own, I guess.
I listened to this while on ketamine, what a strange evenimg it became. My friend that turned me on to Roy Buchanon., killed himself around 1977. I walked up to his house to get him and we were going to a company 4th July party/ picnic. When i knocked on his door, his roommate informed me he had shot himself in the head the night before. This was mid 1970s in Detroit. I was use to violence, and gunshots but this was my best friend dead at his own hand. This messed me up for years with a lot of alcohol and self medication. But listening to this on ketamine really brought it home. His friends voices catching in their throats as they relived those last moments was too real and brought it back. RIP Roy and Mark❤
I was friends with Lonnie Mack and once I asked him about the shows he played with Roy . He said Roy liked to get stoned so they got along great. Lonnie knew Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison but he said Jim was self destructive and liked to start fights he couldn't win and Janis just wanted to get drunk and f**k. Roy was quiet and thoughtful but he liked to take pills and stay up all night so him and Lonnie had good times. There are a lot of similarities between Roy and Lonnie's early recordings
It's, enough, Roy did everything there's too do? You know all that's theory,,, Roy... A man conflicted and at times with the Himself, and with other's , not deserveing it. Roy, like some of was given talents that were not fully understood , I understand a bit, cause I learned to quick and it's hard to understand, talk to you later.
