Died On This Date (June 21, 2001) John Lee Hooker / Blues Icon
themusicsover John Lee Hooker
August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001
He’s been called the “Worlds Greatest Blues Singer,” but John Lee Hooker was much more than that. With over 100 albums to his credit, he was one of the most influential singers, guitarists and songwriters the world has ever known, blues or otherwise. A son of a sharecropper, Hooker was born near Clarksdale, MS where he developed his unique style of picking and “talk singing” that is often associated with Delta blues. His cousin, Earl Hooker was also a respected blues musician. By the late ’40s, Hooker found himself living in Detroit where he worked he assembly line at Ford by day and jammed at the local blues clubs by night. In 1948, his first single was released. It was called “Boogie Chillen” and it became a hit, but as was the case with many blues artists of the day, his record label heads made most of the money from its success. Another of his signature songs, “Boom Boom” was released in 1962 during the folk and blues revival of the early ’60s. In the ’80s, Hooker was back in vogue after appearing in the films, The Blues Brothers and the Last Waltz. In 1989, a stellar cast of admirers joined him on his The Healer album for which he won a Grammy. John Lee Hooker passed away of natural causes at 83.
What You Should Own
The son of a sharecropper, Sleepy John Estes began to perform while working as a field hand at the age of 19. He played guitar and sang at local picnics and parties around his neighborhood in Brownsville, TN. At 30, he entered the studio to record such sides as “Drop Down Mama” and “Someday Baby Blues” first on Victor Records and later Delmark, Decca and Bluebird. Not an exceptional guitarist, Estes was recognized for a great voice that was filled with the passion and pain he sang about. 