Feeling Blue: Buddy Guy Forced To Cancel Shows Due to Health

By Michele Lenni in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 3, 2011 7:20PM

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy was forced to cancel two dates in Japan due to heath issues according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He was scheduled to play festivals in Fuji on Sunday and Tokyo on Tuesday. The iconic guitarist has been stricken with an unnamed illness for which he was to have surgery, but now is being treated solely by medication.

The Sun-Times also reported that his assistant Annie Lawlor insisted that the illness is a "minor health issue" and although it has worsened, the fact that health professionals doctors stopped international travel has made for much improvement in the guitarist's health. "He's up and moving around. He's feeling OK" according to Lawlor.

Guy, who recently turned 75, is expected to show up this Sunday at a birthday party in his honor at his club Legends, 700 S. Wabash. Guy's daughter-vocalist Carlise Guy will play dance, funk, pop and R&B at 9:30 p.m. Also scheduled is a 5 p.m. jazz set by Guy King and his Organ Trio opens. Lawlor has said that she does not expect Guy to play due to his condition and a physician's appointment in the following days, but said that Guy is still slated to play Ribberfest blues festival in Madison, Ind., near Louisville, Ky., Aug, 19-20.

As always we are pulling for the blues legend. Saturday he was spotted at his club with fellow Chicago blues guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks and played a set with Magic Slim and sang Freddy King's "You Got To Love Her With a Feelin'." With that in mind we have a feelin' guy has many more prolific music years ahead of him.