Blues legend John Lee Hooker was born in Clarksdale, Miss. on August 22, 1917 to a family of poor sharecroppers. After learning the blues as a child, Hooker moved to Memphis and then Cincinnati before relocating to Detroit in 1943. He quickly became a fixture on the city's burgeoning blues scene, cutting his first single, "Boogie Chillen," in 1948. The primitivist song became a surprise hit, reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts and vaulting Hooker into the national spotlight. The following year singles like "Hobo Blues," "Hoogie Boogie" and "Crawling Kingsnake" further established his reputation, sealed with the success of 1951's No. 1 single "I'm In the Mood." Throughout the 1950s Hooker recorded a string of singles and albums for a variety of labels under a variety of names, including Texas Slim, Delta John, Birmingham Sam and Johnny Williams. He eventually settled with V-Jay, for whom he recorded over 100 songs during the late '50s and early '60s, including hits like "Time Is Marching," "I Love You Honey," "Baby Lee," "No Shoes" and "Boom Boom." His unique boogie blues style often crossed over to R&B audiences, assuring him a wide following.
By the 1960s Hooker was a music legend, covered by blues-rock bands such as the Yardbirds and the Animals and admired by hip college audiences. In 1970 Hooker further ventured into the mainstream with a duet album with Canned Heat, Hooker 'n' Heat. He continued recording throughout the '70s, though he spent more time on tour. Hooker capped off the decade with a cameo on 1979's Blues Brothers. During the 1980s Hooker made more overtures toward other musical genres through duets with artists including Carlos Santana, Branford Marsalis, Van Morrison, Keith Richards and Bonnie Raitt. His 1989 album The Healer went platinum, his best-selling album to date. That same year he jammed on stage with the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. During the 1990s Hooker began cutting back on his rigorous schedule, though he continued recording and occasionally performing, also making cameos in TV commercials. In 1996 Hooker won a Grammy for his album Chill Out. That same year he also made a special appearance at the Tibetian Freedom Concert, performing on the same bill as groups such as Smashing Pumpkins and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Country
US
URL
http://www.johnleehooker.com/
State
CA
City
San Francisco
