Joe "Guitar" Hughes (September 29, 1937 – May 20, 2003) was an American blues musician, from Houston, Texas, United States. An inventive and versatile performer, Hughes was equally happy with slow blues, Texas shuffles and old R&B hits.
Hughes was inspired by local musicians such as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Johnny "Guitar" Watson - "anyone who had fire in their playing and a good shuffle". His first band was the Dukes Of Rhythm in the 1950s, which also included his friend, Johnny Copeland.
In the 1960s he worked for Little Richard's old group the Upsetters, and next as a member of Bobby "Blue" Bland's band in the 1960s. Like Johnny Copeland he could not see much of a future for the blues in Houston, but unlike him Hughes stayed there.
A long dry spell followed, but Hughes finally came back to the spotlight with a set for Black Top Records in 1989 with If You Want to See These Blues (by that time, he had inserted a "Guitar" as his middle name, much like his old pal Watson).
From the early 1980s he toured Europe and recorded for Double Trouble Records of Holland. They issued Texas Guitar Master in 1986, which included a live "Battle of the Guitars" with fellow Texan bluesman Pete Mayes, that testified to the abiding influence on both men by T-Bone Walker.
After half a century of playing the blues, Joe "Guitar" Hughes died on May 20, 2003, in Houston, after suffering a heart attack.
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