John Lee Hooker (1912-2001) hailed from Clarksdale, Mississippi where the Ku Klux Klan marched passed his door on their way to a rally or a lynching. He was taught to play guitar by his stepfather, William Moore, who was famous in the area and used to jam with the top bluesmen in the area.
Hooker eventually left Mississippi and went to Memphis working odd jobs. He came to Detroit in 1943 working for the auto companies. In his free time, he played his guitar at the Hastings Street clubs such as Henry’s Swing Club, the 609 Club and the Horseshoe Club.
Stopping into a record store with a recording booth, Hooker cut a song that the storeowner thought had hit potential and played it for Bernie Besman of Sensation Records—a small Detroit indie label. Besman reportedly wasn’t all that impressed but met with Hooker only to learn the man had a stutter (although I’ve never noticed it having heard him speak). Nevertheless, Besman apparently had a hunch and signed Hooker to a contract.
In 1948, Sensation released “Boogie Chillen” which immediately shot to #1 on the R&B chart and rocketed Hooker to international fame when British blues fans took notice. Hooker had a haunting, mesmerizing sound. Some prefer his solo stuff with just his guitar and his stomping foot and others like his full band arrangements better. Either way, he was a very unique artist who, like Muddy Waters, created his own genre of blues.
One thing that set him apart was his total disregard for song form. Hooker would do whatever he felt like doing to a song—suddenly breaking into lead runs or going through unpredictable key changes, strange pauses and starts—and somehow make it come out sounding good despite the song having no apparent structure.
Hooker signed with a number of labels—Vee-Jay, Chess and Modern—recording under various aliases--John Lee Cooker, Texas Slim, etc.--to prevent legal wrangling saying it made no difference what name went on the record “as long as you get the money.” Hooker also recorded quite a number of sides for Detroit’s legendary Fortune label which helped his cohort, Eddie Kirkland, establish himself as a solo artist. Hooker was enormously popular with British blues fans and was given the royal treatment when he toured the country.
He has played with rock bands as the Animals and Canned Heat as well as Van Morrison. His influence in both blues and rock music is inestimable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Sv-SNDqgo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4pp02_GN9A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oRlhbjM59s
One of Hooker’s less known songs and yet one of his best.