Born Sidney Selby on 28 July 1931 in Hyde County, North Carolina, the future performer sang in church during childhood. In his mid-teens he relocated with his mother to New York City, where an aunt employed at a U.S. Army camp exposed him to touring swing bands and bop musicians. During the 1960s he recorded several singles while playing guitar and singing, and he toured alongside Ben E. King and the Isley Brothers. Although fellow musicians acknowledged his talent, only after traveling to Europe did he draw a devoted following, leading him to remain on the continent; for many years he has lived in Freiburg, Germany. There he performed both solo and with visiting artists, among them Katie Webster, whom he accompanied at a Freiburg engagement cut short when she suffered a stroke that ended her performing career.
Besides guitar Selby plays harmonica, and his sets blend old-time and contemporary blues with a touch of soul. Among the players supporting his live appearances and recordings in the late 1990s and early 2000s were guitarists Alvin Lee and Hans McMiniman plus pianist Joe Fuller. Arthritis later restricted his guitar work, yet he continued to sing and to play blues harp with undiminished energy. His 1995 album Message To Man gained from the contributions of arranger Calvin Owens, whose earlier credits include work with B.B. King. The nickname “Guitar Slim” reportedly arose not from his style or temperament but from an incident in which he used his instrument to deter a club patron who was mistreating a woman.
