Reggie Boyd, Robert Lockwood, and friends

Goldie Patrick, Robert Lockwood, and James Segrest

Reggie Boyd, James Segrest, Mark Hoffman, and Robert Lockwood

Reggie Boyd, Goldie Patrick, Ryan Priester, and Robert Lockwood

All pictures taken in Chicago on June 12, 2004

Reggie Boyd used to give guitar lessons to Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Fenton Robinson, and many other Chicago legends. He’s one of the greatest jazz guitarists ever—a player so prodigiously skilled that he even intimidated Les Paul and Alvino Rey.

Robert Lockwood knew Reggie well decades ago and several years ago asked me if I knew where he was. I didn’t know, but I kept looking for him. I discovered that Goldie Patrick, Reggie’s friend and guitar student, had also been trying to reunite Robert with Reggie for several years.

On June 12, 2004, Goldie, Ryan Priester (one of Goldie’s guitar students), James Segrest, and I took Robert out to a nursing home on Chicago’s West Side to visit his old pal Reggie. The two guitar greats hadn’t seen each other in years, but they recognized each other immediately and had a wonderful time together playing guitars and reminiscing. It was a magic afternoon!

–Mark Hoffman