(CBS) – He is Chicago blues – period.

Buddy Guy is part musician, part showman. He’s been performing for nearly 50 years, and you can still catch him at his South Loop nightclub.

Louisiana-born, he’s the son of a sharecropper. Instruments were scarce growing up.

For Buddy, music came from within. What he learned in the blues clubs of Chicago set him on fire.

“I’m just a student,” the 76-year-old says.

A student of the greats: Guitar Slim, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, whose shoes will never be filled, Buddy says.

In December, actor Morgan Freeman told his story, Bonnie Raitt sang his songs. The Kennedy Center honored the former tow-truck driver with one of the highest honors an artist can receive.

What is the future of blues?

“It’s scary right now because radio stations don’t play it much anymore,” Buddy says.

Finding talent has become his talent. Buddy discovered Quinn Sullivan when he was just 5.

Making the blues come alive and survive is what his club, Legends, is all about. It’s now in its 24th year of giving others a chance.

Buddy Guy’s Legends is open seven nights a week with live music. He has a new album coming out mid-year with new songs penned recently.