This story is a special one for a lot of reasons — not only are we completely ditching the typical Florida-style sounds with this gritty Blues club, but diving into a bit of history that leads to the ultimate truth — this blues bar is world famous! The Buckingham Blues Bar, a place of renown, ran by Tommy Lee Cook back on August 1st, 2002, when it was nothing more than the “number one lousiest bar” in the five Southwest Florida counties. So you had to wonder —

Was there a chance in the Buckingham Blues Bar making a comeback?

Hell. Yeah. Just keep reading.

Now the state back then of the “Buck” (as it’s often referred as) was a bit dismal, arguably due to the infamous history behind it prior to Tommy’s purchasing of the property. You had local biker groups according to the man himself referencing them as on a “list of the twenty biggest s***holes in May 2002,” so needless to say, when he saw the property, it was in disarray:

• Poor plumbing
• A messed-up AC
• A leaky roof
• An unkempt backyard
• And a partridge in a pear tree (not really)

It wasn’t looking good.

But 3.5 months later….

Well, it certainly helped that Tommy was a general contractor as well, so the complete renovation transformed the establishment into the rising phoenix from the ashes as it were — inside, outside, backyard and everything. But here’s the cherry on top.

Tommy himself was also a musician of prestige. That’s right. As a singer-songwriter, he even released a vinyl back in 1985 — Southern Soul/Tommy Lee Cook. Music was his thing. And he wanted to bring it into the Buck with some original acts, such as Pat Ramsey, one of the best harmonica players of his time, Albert Castiglia, a young East Coast guitar slinger and much more.

One blink and you’d miss it — but the Buckingham Blues Bar became a household name in Cape Coral, having been open for more than 20 years, hosting well over 4,000 shows both inside and outside. Acts like:

• Delbert McClinton
• Selwyn Birchwood
• Damon Fowler
• JP Soars
• Victor Wainwright
• Leroy Parnell

Just to name a few!

This is short is what you need to know about the Buckingham Blues Bar

You’re literally walking into history. A place for all ages, classes, races, demeanors, and more. One constant, though: music lovers are among all. You won’t find any other Florida Blues bar like it, seating 100 along with a standing-room-only space and the best drinks you can possibly buy.

We’ll keep it real simple for you: if you’re in Cape Coral and you’re not in the Buckingham Blues Bar, you’re not in Cape Coral at all.

The Buck’s on 5641 Buckingham Road (duh), Fort Myers, FL, open from Monday to Thursday from 2 to 12AM, Friday from 11-12AM, and Saturday-Sunday from 10-12AM. Check them out!