I had just come home from a dreary day in junior high school in 1971 and flipped on the television for a quick look when I happened upon something completely unexpected on Channel 13. Our local public broadcasting station, as staid and frankly boring an outfit as one could imagine, having all of the hipness of an appendectomy, had some live rock gracing its airways. School books forgotten, I was fascinated by the taciturn guitarist playing a beat-up Fender Telecaster, coaxing some astonishing sounds out of it in ways that seemed even beyond what Page and Beck were doing. The show of course, was the now legendary "Introducing Roy Buchanan", commonly (and very incorrectly) known as "The World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist".…
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26 - Pedro Felix III
If anyone has a copy of the PBS The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World special, please contact me.
Roy was and is still the real deal! Honesty and intuitive articulation the likes of which we will never be graced with again.
I hope Roy's kin know that their patriarch is very much loved and revered.
I didn't intend on posting her but found this testimonial on one of Roy's shows fron June 1987 at stephentalkhouse.com
27 - Saro Leon Petrossian
My dad managed the Silver Dollar back in the mid to late 60's. He told me a lot of stories about Roy Buchanan. He told me about Jimi Hendrix jamming with him one night there. He also confirmed the story of the Rolling Stones asking him to join the band. I just recently bought his Livestock album and it is truly a masterpiece. I have his Atlantic Cd as well.
28 - duane
He told me about Jimi Hendrix jamming with him one night there.
Could you fill in the blanks? Would love to hear more.
29 - David J Buchanan
This is Roys son David J Buchanan. I wanted to invite you to join a site that I started for my father. Thank you!
30 - hal lindes
for #27 Saro Leon Petrossian - i was in the house band at the silver dollar / m-club in the early 70's - your dad leon was so great to us and introduced me to roy buchanan who would drop in from time to time and jam with us - humbling us not only by his unbelievable talent but also by his kindness and spiritual manner -
31 - Jungleb4
Hello all U Buchanan admirers.
after finding this site by accident and reading some of the comments made I had to say something.
I am 43 now and discovered Mr. Buchanan somewhere in my late teens.I was frequinting my favorite record store looking 4 more jeff Beck albums,(the 1st one I got of his was wired wich shows him on the cover in that axe pose in a white blaser)and what an album it turned out to be.
Anyways using that thought proccess of buying a record with a guitarist posing on it I came across this album of Mr. buchanan.
I said to myself. I don't know who he is.He doesn't look like a good guitarist.what kind of music does he play? After asking myself several other questions and flipping the album over to read everything on it I finally said."that last one I bought was good lets give it a try". Was I ever glad I did! It was awesome.I have never once bought an album in which I've liked more than half the tracks on the first listen.
Now. I'm not a guitar player.I don't even play an instrumment.I just love the sound of that guitar and totally admire those who can play it.
After that day I went back to the record store and puchased another,I think it was livestock and every time I had some raha to get one of his I did.
I'll tell U this! There has been no disapointment in any of the albums I've collected since.
Mr.Buchanan SMOKES! THATS ALL I HAVE TO SAY!
32 - Rick Wallace
i am 49 years old and discovered Roy in the early 70s and i never heard guitar like that ever!! i finaly got to meet Roy in 1987 about 10 months before he died and Roy was a realy nice guy. Suggestion for all you guitar students and guitar freaks like me, get the c.d. american axe 1974 and get Austin City Limits 1976 and watch and listen to what no other Guitarist can do and never did before Roy!! thanks, Rick
33 - JGardiner
I just downloaded a copy of the PBS special from the bitorrent DIME site (dimeadozen.org).
It may take a while to get a free signup membership so if you are rejected first time, keep trying for a few days. It took me 4 days.
There is lots of good stuff on there, mostly bootlegs of current bands and shows but the more we keep Roy's music alive, the better.
enjoy.
J.
34 - joe Glidewell
I first heard of Roy Buchanan when I accidentally walked in on the tv special "The World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist" when I was in college. He blew me away. I still remember that night as if it were yesterday. Today I have that tape and watch it constantly. I just wish there were more like that one. What a guitarist! I have been playing for over 30 years and in all the bands I have played I always have to introduce them to Roy's playing, which blows them away, and we always try to do several of his songs. I play a Telecaster but I can't get the sounds and tones he did, no matter how much I practice. He was truly a "God -given" talent to the world. Such a shame he died so young. The music world was cheated when it lost Roy Buchanan.
35 - Andy G
I can remember as clear as yesterday watching Roy's Austin City Limits show on PBS in the summer of 1977 on my black and white TV. I ran and got a crappy cassette recorder and sat down in amazement. I had known about him and had an albumn of his (second albumn) but had never seen him play. Spellbound and drooling like a fool, I took it all in. I've never been a celebrity worshiper, but I have to say, I've played that TV show over and over in my mind for the past 30 years, no exageration. I specifically remember the extremely fast dead note thing he did with his fingers during Hey Joe. On the cassette that I made, my girlfried, later to become my wife, and I can be heard giggling like little children watching a magic show. And in a way it really was a magic show. I have thought about it for thirty years and always wanted to write to Austin City Limits to see if there was some way to buy it, but never did. If there really is a way to get this original show on DVD or VHS I would really appreciate someone pointing me in that direction. I feel like a starstruck little kid every time I even think about it. If someone could post info here it would be great. God bless Roy for the memories and Roy's family for sharing him with all of us.
PS. I see the post by Randy Toma saying to email if you want a copy, but can't see how to email him. Sure would love to get my hands on a copy.
36 - Sherryb Chafin
My husband played (bass) with Roy in the '60's, at various clubs in D.C., Georgetown... the Silver Dollar, etc... many! He and Roy actually looked a lot alike and had many of the same 'growing up' experiences. My husband, Dale Chafin, told me about, and I experienced, Roy playing with his back to the crowd so as not to allow anyone to steal his riffs, and, because he was very shy!!! The world really suffered by not having Roy as "popular" as he could have been, but, that is definitely not what Roy wanted. His talent was mindblowing to say the least. Sherryb Chafin
37 - Mark Opsasnick
I am looking to get in touch with Pete Van Allen, Pokey Walls, and anyone else who played in bands in the DC area with Roy Buchanan from 1960 to 1972. This info will be used in a forthcoming revised edition of the book "Capitol Rock." Please email me through my publisher or call me directly at 240 777-3450 (24-hour answering machine is in service if I don't pick up). Thanks!
38 - bobby gregory
wow. I came across this (blogcritics.org) last night when i was looking for songs to hear. one of my favorite pieces is Sweet Dreams from the pbs documentary. I had put my cheap cassette recorder to the speaker of that old b/w tv my dad got; the ones that still had no filters on the rectifier. It used to hum! Besides the hum I had that recording on an old Ampex cassette tape that I listened to over and over and over. I repaired it about three times until I finally dubbed it off to another cassette tape about ten years ago. I had learned how to play sweet dreams note for note a year or two after that PBS show. Now I put in a few of my own lines in a couple lines but basically love what RB had created. Beautiful. Like another poster earlier, of his sister giggling; I have my sister giggling too on my tape, that happened after our 1st cousin came into her bedroom and watched the rest of the show. There's his voice heard on my recording after he walks in, "Buchanan". I am 52 years old now and my sister is 50. When I feel depressed and need uplifting I take out that recording and listen to it to give me spiritual renewal of how Roy's personality was on his simple views of life explained through his intros to his influences of that PBS special. I finally got a DVD of that last winter and watched it in its entirety. It brought tears to me eyes. I still feel like I haven't grown up. I hope I will soon. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!
Love,
Bobby Gregory
39 - Michael Tassi
I have a very poor quality VHS copy of the PBS special. A friend sent it to me and I watched it last night ... Incredible stuff. Would love to get my hands on a newer generation copy. Can anyone help?
40 - Mark W
I saw the same program back then. Nils Lofgren joined Roy onstage for a version of the song "Shotgun".
Also, a month or so later, a PBS show called Vibrations showed Roy performing his version of Malaguena, and then the full version of Messiah Will Come Again (the "Introducing" PBS special cut off before the song was done)
I saw Roy perform many times. A true virtuoso. May he rest in peace.
41 - Brian McGee
Big Roy fan.
One of the first posters mentions a Roy Orbison special. That guitar player was James Burton, not Roy.
I remember the Heidelburg Tavern in back of the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ actually had a CD jukebox with Roy's first two albums on it. Roy's is a name I hear far too infrequently, but it garners respect wherever it is heard.