3:43 p.m.
Today we celebrate what would have been the 90th birthday of American blues legend, John Lee Hooker.
Hooker was born in the town where I spent many a highschool day, Clarksdale, Mississippi. He learned from the folk-blues players of the Mississippi Delta before moving north and taking up a more urban, electric style; however, he never entirely abandoned the acoustic guitar. Hooker’s first recording was “Boogie Chillen” in 1948, which was a hit, and his percussive guitar style made him popular with rock audiences starting in the 1950s (FYI - Widepsread Panic covered this hit back in the day). Other hits included “Crawlin’ King Snake” (1949), “I’m in the Mood” (1951), and “Boom Boom” (1962).
In the 1960s Hooker was credited with bringing a wider audience to the blues with projects such as the album "Hooker ’n’ Heat" (my boyfriend has actually called me that before) a collaboration with the rock group Canned Heat. After years of semi-obscurity, he returned to popularity with the 1989 album "The Healer", which featured guest appearances by rock stars such as Carlos Santana and Bonnie Raitt and earned Hooker his first Grammy Award. A series of similar albums followed in the 1990s. Hooker was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, a decade before his passing.
So, cheers to you Hooker. And cheers to hookers.
Info taken from MSN Encarta
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