JOHN LEE HOOKER
BORN AUGUST 22, 1917 John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001)
John Lee Hooker was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on August 22, 1917, to a large Baptist family of sharecroppers. He began singing spiritual music at a young age, but he credited his stepfather with fueling his love for the blues.
After moving to Memphis and then to Cincinnati, Hooker eventually wound up in Detroit. In the years following World War II, he built a reputation in the Motor City's blues scene, recording his first single, "Boogie Chillen," in 1948. The song featured the autobiographical lyrics "One night I was layin' down/ ... I heard Papa tell Mama/ Let that boy boogie-woogie/ It's in him/ And it got to come out."
Chillen" kicked open the door for a string of hits, including "Rock House Boogie," "Crawling King Snake" and "I'm in the Mood."
Frustrated with recording contracts, Hooker spent the early
'50s recording for multiple labels under different names, including Texas Slim, John Lee Booker, John Lee Cocker, Delta John, Birmingham Sam and Johnny Williams. He went back to making music under his own name in 1955 when he signed with Vee-Jay Records. His popularity continued to grow over the next decade, thanks to such tunes as
"Big Legs, Tight Skirt."
'50s recording for multiple labels under different names, including Texas Slim, John Lee Booker, John Lee Cocker, Delta John, Birmingham Sam and Johnny Williams. He went back to making music under his own name in 1955 when he signed with Vee-Jay Records. His popularity continued to grow over the next decade, thanks to such tunes as
"Big Legs, Tight Skirt."
He had a cameo in "The Blues Brothers" movie, playing a street musician.
A VERSION OF “IN THE MOOD” WON HIM HIS FIRST
GRAMMY AWARD WHEN IT WAS DONE AS A DUET WITH
BONNIE RAITT ON THE “HEALER” ALBUM IN 1989
GRAMMY AWARD WHEN IT WAS DONE AS A DUET WITH
BONNIE RAITT ON THE “HEALER” ALBUM IN 1989
John Lee Hooker was inducted in the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991
and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991
Hooker, known for his hypnotic, one-chord grooves and mournful, gravelly vocals, gave his final performance on June 16 in Santa Rosa, California and died peacefully in his sleep at his home in San Francisco five days later...
Buddy Guy upon hearing of John Lee’s death on June 21, 2001: "The first song I ever learned on the guitar was 'Boogie Chillen'" "I still play it today, as I will tonight and I always will."
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