In ‘Sinners’ and his music, Buddy Guy is keeping the blues alive. It hasn’t been easy.

Buddy Guy plays the blues at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago recently. AP

For Chicago musician Buddy Guy — a stalwart and staunch defender of the blues — there’s nothing more important than keeping his chosen genre at the forefront of conversation. It comes naturally: Guy is one of America’s greatest guitar players , a singular artist with a thick roster of A-list super fans — Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Gary Clark Jr. among them.

The list also includes innovative writer and director Ryan Coogler, who tapped Guy for his critically acclaimed film “Sinners” earlier this year, and artists like Peter Frampton and the Eagles’ Joe Walsh, who feature on his new album, “Ain’t Done With the Blues.” It released Wednesday, on Guy’s 89th birthday.

For the eight-time Grammy Award-winning