Buddy Red talks dreams with David Gilmour, playing abroad and stardom in his own image before SXSW
Written by: Ian Saint
Buddy Red is building from scratch, kind of. He hails from a musical dynasty — but when it comes to playing guitar and finding inspiration from Pink Floyd and Rick Astley, he’s the lone wolf in the family.
Born the first child of Atlanta rapper and trap music pioneer T.I. in 2000, Messiah Harris’ adolescence was depicted on the VH1 reality show “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle” from 2011 to 2017. In a late season episode portraying Messiah’s apartment hunt, T.I. remarked that his firstborn “has always been introverted. [Younger brother] King is the complete antithesis of Messiah.”
After “The Family Hustle” concluded, Messiah attended university and explored his curiosities — including other musical realms. At 18 years old, he screened the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and experienced an awakening that compelled him to learn the guitar.
Four years later, Harris performed as Buddy Red for the first time. The moniker is a combination of his paternal grandfather and maternal uncle’s names — paying homage to both sides of his family — and evoking reminiscence of electric blues pioneers.
Last October, Buddy Red showcased at the LAUNCH Music Conference in Deep Ellum; playing at the new live music venue Puzzles (formerly The Quixotic World on 2824 Main St). This coincided with the State Fair of Texas, whose music stages I was emceeing — so he obliged my invitation to come see Austin guitar hero Jackie Venson headline the stage in Cotton Bowl Plaza.
When I informed him of Deep Ellum’s rich musical history, Red’s determination to explore that was strongly apparent. In between his Puzzles showcase and our interview, he perused the neighborhood. He asked questions about my memories of Charley Crockett and Leon Bridges busking there. It was fascinating to see Buddy Red both as a guitar-shredding dynamo on stage, and a pensive student offstage. Even when we stopped by heavy metal dive bar Reno’s Chop Shop afterwards, his eyes scanned the raucous room of headbangers in reflective wonder.
Subsequently, I’ve seen Buddy Red play in Nashville and New York City. In Music City, Red played Origins Music Group’s Impact Awards afterparty. In the Big Apple, he joined 21 year-old folk artist Stella Prince at her first New York City headlining show for covers of John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” and Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” at Mercury Lounge in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Their collaboration was sparked by meeting as fellow panelists on Ann Powers of NPR’s panel at Folk Alliance 2026.
At SXSW 2026, Buddy Red plays several showcases and releases new single “I Gotta Feelin’” — on which he plays all instruments. Below is a complete list of official South By Southwest events Buddy Red is playing:
- Friday, March 13 @ 8 PM — Saxon Pub (1320 S. Lamar Blvd.)
- Monday, March 16 @ 9 PM — Stubb’s (801 Red River St.)
- Tuesday, March 17 @ 1 AM (note the time) — Inn Cahoots Austin Garden (1221 E. 6th St.)
A transcript of our October conversation, edited for length and clarity, follows.
IAN SAINT: Welcome, Mr. Buddy Red, to Deep Ellum. What are your thoughts on our vibrant, historic neighborhood — that can get a little turnt sometimes, as you’ve seen?
BUDDY RED: Man, I really like it out here. I was just telling [my drummer] R’Jay, I feel like it’s easy to get in trouble here — but it’s good for character development. I ran into a test situation [and wondered] how I was going to react there, and I learned a lot about myself. I could feel myself learning and growing from just being around this whole new culture — because I’m from Atlanta, and things are similar but different out there. I love the music that I’m hearing, it’s very diverse. I like it out here a lot; I wonder what all I’d learn if I spent a year out here.
IAN SAINT: I briefly lived in Atlanta before moving out here, so it’s interesting to hear you as an Atlantan experiencing Deep Ellum — you’re giving me déjà vu from my first thoughts when I came out here.
BUDDY RED: What did you think of Atlanta?
IAN SAINT: Well, mind you, I grew up in Cleveland; so moving south was a huge culture shock — I’d never heard “bless your heart” before in my life. [laugh] I was only in Atlanta about seven weeks, for a corporate job that provided an apartment in Brookhaven, so I didn’t get to experience ATL as I would’ve sought for myself. I think I would’ve chosen to live in Little Five Points.
BUDDY RED: I love Little Five Points, because the record stores are there, [like] Criminal Records and Wax ‘N’ Facts. You’ve got great thrift stores there, too, like Clothing Warehouse and Psycho Sisters. It’s the most interesting part of Atlanta. Beyond Little Five Points, I love the Beltline — it’s basically this long walkway, where you can go from Ponce City Market to Krog Street Market, and wherever else it leads. I like busking there.
IAN SAINT: How was your show at Puzzles in Deep Ellum?
BUDDY RED: Man, the show out here was great — the stage, the volume, the band, people in the crowd. I could see people receiving what I was giving, what we were giving. It feels like it won’t be the last time. I’m excited to see what else Dallas has to offer for me as a musician, because I know there are people out there that don’t even know that they’re gonna be part of my crowd one day. That feeling, alone, is exciting. I want to keep finding things to do out here; I love it.
IAN SAINT: Deep Ellum has a long history with legendary guitarists. Leadbelly and Blind Lemon Jefferson played together here.
BUDDY RED: Before I came to Dallas, Robert Johnson was probably [already] my favorite blues guitarist and blues singer of all time. I knew that he only had two recording sessions in his life: the first one in San Antonio, the second one in Dallas. As soon as I came here and parked at Terry Black’s BBQ, I saw that Robert Johnson was around here. Being here and looking down the strip, with all the bars, music, and stuff, I wonder — “Is this the same strip? Was somebody like Robert Johnson walking down this strip, hearing barrelhouse music and seeing people fist-fighting?”
IAN SAINT: As someone who loves history, I know exactly what you mean. Living in Deep Ellum, I’m never bored and my mind’s always there. I saw on Instagram that you and our own Erykah Badu are connected? My friend Miko Marks was in a singing group with her at Grambling State; Miko did a Buddy interview with me when she was playing Dallas, too.
BUDDY RED: Yeah, funny story. Back home in Atlanta, I play at Northside Tavern’s Monday open mic session, Lola’s Jam. There’s a tattoo artist named Tuki who saw me on stage at Northside Tavern. He said, “Man, you’re great. I just showed Erykah your stuff and she asked who you were.” Soon after that, I saw she was following me on Instagram. That’s the extent of our relationship, virtual. I’m sure there’s a lot more room for growth, artistically, between her and I — she’s phenomenal.
IAN SAINT: I wasn’t surprised that Jimi Hendrix is a top influence of yours; but as I understand it, your top favorite guitarist is David Gilmour?
BUDDY RED: Man, hell yes! David fucking Gilmour, man. I really, really, really, really, really hope to meet him one day. He’s the one that really showed me what I want to do with the guitar. When I heard his guitar solo on “Time,” I didn’t even know music could sound like that. And so… I’m gonna keep gushing…
IAN SAINT: Go ahead! My good friend Durga McBroom sang on Pink Floyd’s last four albums and three tours — actually, her first Pink Floyd show was in your hometown of Atlanta, with her sister Lorelei McBroom. Durga and Lorelei have an album called Black Floyd, which is a mix of original songs and Pink Floyd covers.
IAN SAINT: Do you play the same guitar as David Gilmour? I saw you play a Strat.
BUDDY RED: Yes, I play the same style guitar as David Gilmour: Fender Stratocaster.
IAN SAINT: Were you already playing that guitar, or did Gilmour influence you to pick that guitar?
BUDDY RED: He definitely influenced me. Before I discovered David Gilmour, I was playing acoustic guitar — I recommend every beginner guitar player learn with an acoustic guitar. My first electric guitar was a Telecaster style guitar from Mario Martin. The first thing that struck me was how easy it is to play compared to the acoustic. When I discovered David Gilmour, I said, “Oh, I should have got a Stratocaster.”
IAN SAINT: What are your favorite Gilmour solos? You mentioned “Time,” of course.
BUDDY RED: His solo on “Fat Old Sun” from Atom Heart Mother. All of his guitar work on “Echoes,” off Meddle…
IAN SAINT: Wow, you really know the early Floyd discography. I’ve always loved the Obscured By Clouds soundtrack, right before Dark Side of the Moon.
BUDDY RED: Yes, they have great stuff on there, too. “Wot’s… Uh the Deal” has a good solo.
IAN SAINT: When I learned that Gilmour was a huge influence on you, I noticed the heavy presence of organ on your song “Sold His Soul.” Richard Wright was a major part of Pink Floyd’s sound, and Gilmour has said one of the reasons he won’t do Pink Floyd again is because Rick died. Was the organ on “Sold His Soul” influenced by Pink Floyd?
BUDDY RED: 100%. That song, I have Pink Floyd to thank for. When I heard “Time” on Dark Side of the Moon, I vividly remember saying out loud, “I don’t care how long it takes, I don’t care how difficult it’s going to be, I don’t care how much money it’s going to cost, I don’t care how patient I have to be. I’m going to keep learning until I can do something like this, because this is amazing.” When I was coming up with “Sold His Soul,” I said, “This is my ode to Pink Floyd.”
Really, I wanted to have more organ in there — in the verse where I’m doing “He sold himself for a dollar,” I was thinking about having stabs of Wurlitzer organ to accent my guitar. But the whole song [recording] came together faster than I was anticipating. I wasn’t as confident in the studio with the producers as I am now, and I didn’t think it was going to be my next single. But I love the song, man; I teared up while hearing the master version.
IAN SAINT: Let’s talk about the “Sold His Soul” lyrics…
BUDDY RED: It feels a bit like what I see out here in Deep Ellum. It’s easy to get in trouble out here; it’s easy to lose yourself.
IAN SAINT: And the single cover art.
BUDDY RED: That cover represents temptation — money, women… I saw a lot of that out here.
IAN SAINT: You’ve said Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury biopic, was revelatory for you. What is it about Freddie that gave you an epiphany about who you are?
BUDDY RED: I walked into the movie not knowing what I was about to see. I knew it was about music, I knew it was about a band; but I didn’t know anything about Queen or Freddie Mercury, or rock ‘n roll in general. I didn’t know anything about it. When the movie starts, Freddie Mercury is getting ready for his Live Aid show in ’85, and you see the crowd in front of him; then it cuts to him being a baggage guy at the airport. He just has a regular job. He looks nothing like the person that was in the beginning of the film, getting ready to perform in front of all these people. And that struck me immediately. I’ve had a couple of regular jobs; I worked as a court monitor at Sky Zone — babysitting kids and parents on trampolines — and in retail, as an employee for a Polo outlet. I felt like I’m supposed to be doing more, but what?
Then watching how he develops — as a person and artist — as the movie goes on, I said, “Man, what if I can relate to this more than I originally thought?”
IAN SAINT: What influences of yours might people find most surprising?
BUDDY RED: I love Tupac and ‘90s hip-hop. I don’t think I would be here right now without 90s hip-hop because that’s when I started producing — before I started playing guitar. Tupac, Ice Cube, Biggie. Easy Mo Bee, he produced for Tupac and Biggie; and 9th Wonder, he produced for Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, and Destiny’s Child. I fucking love, love, love Daft Punk as well — from Homework to Random Access Memories. I love The Strokes, from New York — their last album, The New Abnormal, had the Basquiat painting as artwork. I love Nina Simone. I love Erroll Garner, very popular jazz piano player and from the ‘40s up to when he died in the ‘70s.
Rick Astley was the first one I heard that made me realize I like music my parents, brothers, and sisters don’t really listen to. Nobody in my family was listening to Rick Astley; but I was, and I loved it. He’s one of my influences, as well.
IAN SAINT: Okay, that’s definitely surprising. We were talking at the State Fair about “Weird Al” Yankovic, who I recently interviewed. He had a Buddy cover story in 1988, too.
BUDDY RED: Weird Al, too, yeah. Man, in the early days of YouTube, I remember looking up his videos. “Eat It,” “I’ll Sue Ya,” “Trapped in the Drive Thru.” I remember searching all of these as a young kid, and loving it. I think [Al’s palette of songs across genres] influenced my taste when it comes to music, as well, because he was inspired by great music [with his parodies and pastiches].
IAN SAINT: Yeah, I think Weird Al is a brilliant original songwriter. The parodies made him famous, but I’m glad his original songs have also had lots of recognition in recent years. I love that you love “I’ll Sue Ya,” one of his originals. That’s a great showcase for his guitar player, Jim “Kimo” West, who recently had a Buddy Magazine cover story of his own. Jim’s guitar versatility is astounding.
BUDDY RED: Yeah, I’ve got to refresh myself with it. It’s so funny, I haven’t heard that song in years and I still remember. “I sued Taco Bell, ‘cause I ate half a million chalupas, and then I got fat.”
IAN SAINT: Al also parodied “Whatever You Like.” It had to be surreal to see Weird Al parody your Dad’s song?
BUDDY RED: It was so funny. “You like Top Ramen, need Top Ramen.” [laugh] “My chick can have what she want,” he pronounced “wahhhnt” [different] from my Pops saying that line with a Southern drawl. I still remember that, and I haven’t heard that song since I was a kid.
IAN SAINT: What song of yours would you love Weird Al to parody?
BUDDY RED: Hmm. Probably either “When I Dream” or “1958.”
IAN SAINT: I could see him having a ball with “1958.”
BUDDY RED: I think it allows him to be very creative, in terms of finding different names that fit. He could change it to 2028, or 2008, or 1978.
IAN SAINT: Or he could keep it “1958,” and focus on negative aspects of the times like the Cold War.
BUDDY RED: It allows for a lot of creativity.
IAN SAINT: Many peoples’ first impression of you is from “Family Hustle”; and for some, it’s their only impression. You were roughly 11 to 16 years old on that, and it’s been almost a decade since. Looking back on the show — which is edited, like every TV show — do you see glimpses of Buddy Red taking shape? And what transformations have you had since, that you’d like people to know?
BUDDY RED: Yeah, I definitely see glimpses of myself coming out towards the very end of that journey. I think by the last season, they were doing episodes about me producing and making beats. One of the last episodes had me meet him with 9th Wonder, one of my favorite producers of all time — so they were getting into my story, and me diving into music my own way.
In those earlier seasons, I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted to be. They just wanted me on TV as my Pops’ son and my [siblings’] brother. I was just… I don’t know, I guess I was just there. I definitely have more of a sense of myself since then. I’ve grown leaps and bounds as a producer and music creator since then. Man, I’ve gotten a lot more confidence in myself since then — I couldn’t really build confidence, with a camera in front of my face, before I had it. And you have a whole bunch of people trying to keep track of you.
After that whole thing and me just living life — going to school, going to college, trying to figure it out — that built a lot of character and confidence in what I can do. Now I feel more ready than ever to have a camera in front of me, because I can do a lot of cool things now.
IAN SAINT: You’ve been playing around the country, too. Have you gone international quite yet? I met your publicist, Fiona Bloom, at Your Roots Are Showing music conference in Ireland.
BUDDY RED: Man, I am looking forward to it. No, I have not. I want to go to Europe. I want to go to London, Berlin, Amsterdam. I want to get out of here. That’s on the top of my list for [2026].
IAN SAINT: In the meantime, the USA is an enormous country that’s very diverse. You’ve played places beyond the coasts, like Indianapolis and Tulsa, as well — I tell people on the coast, “Man, Tulsa’s more eclectic than you might expect.” Have any experiences of you branching out of Atlanta made an impression on you?
BUDDY RED: Tulsa was cool, man. I had a great time in Tulsa. They were very receptive towards me — they would look at me and just strike up a conversation, and they love music out there. I met a lot of cool people there, like a former monk — it was so interesting to talk with her. One of my favorite guitar players of all time, Wes Montgomery, was a jazz player in Indianapolis; that city is rich in history, I loved Indianapolis.
New York is on the top of my list. I see why they say if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, because I felt really out of character in New York. That’s where “Sold His Soul” was developed. Not having a car, getting on the Subway for everywhere I go, carrying my guitar case — I felt like I was on a mission every day. Nashville was great; I went there for Americanafest, that’s where I met you. And I love the community of musicians up there in Nashville. I would definitely consider living in Dallas, I love it out here. I almost love it more than Austin. I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface; I still have so much more to see out there.
