Every Friday around 11 a.m. Central, it’s time for Classic Americana on Radio Heartland. We pull a special track from the archives or from deep in the shelves to spotlight a particular artist or song.

Although the exact year of his birth has been debated, John Lee Hooker was likely born on Aug. 22, 1917, in the state of Mississippi, right in the cradle of the blues. Hooker’s stepfather, William Moore, was Hooker’s first guitar teacher; later, Hooker would learn more about the blues and guitar playing from blues musician Tony Hollins.

As a teenager, John Lee Hooker made his way to Memphis, further honing his craft busking along Beale Street. Eventually, employment opportunities in the auto industry drew Hooker to Detroit. While working in various auto factories, Hooker played at house parties in Detroit, often accompanying singers and piano players. His talent was spotted by record producer Bernie Besman, and John Lee Hooker recorded his first single, “Boogie Chillen’,” in 1948.

From that first jukebox hit, Hooker began a long and successful career in music that enjoyed several acts. In the 1940s and ‘50s, Hooker recorded a number of hit songs, including “Crawlin’ King Snake” and “Dimples,” and eventually signed to the Vee-Jay record label, with whom he recorded more than 100 tracks. In the 1960s, Hooker’s career got a boost by the folk-music revival, bringing his music to wider audiences. It was during this time Hooker recorded his hit song, “Boom Boom,” and began touring in Europe. Musicians in the United Kingdom — including members of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds — revered John Lee Hooker and were greatly influenced by him. In 1966, Hooker recorded the song, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” which is the track we’ll feature as our Classic Americana pick.

The 1970s saw John Lee Hooker relocate to California and embark on a number of collaborative recordings, working with artists like Steve Miller and Van Morrison, and with the band Canned Heat. Hooker’s career got another boost in 1980, when he appeared in the comedy film The Blues Brothers, basically playing himself as a Maxwell Street busker performing his song “Boom Boom.” In 1989, Hooker recorded his album The Healer, collaborating with artists like Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Musselwhite, Carlos Santana, and the band Los Lobos. One of the tracks from the album, “I’m in the Mood,” recorded with Bonnie Raitt, won a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Traditional Blues Recording.

Well into his 70s, John Lee Hooker’s career continued with stellar results. His 1995 album Chill Out and his 1997 album Don’t Look Back earned John Lee Hooker three more Grammy Awards, including the award for Best Traditional Blues Album for Chill Out. In the year 2000, John Lee Hooker received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

John Lee Hooker died in his sleep at home in Los Altos, California, when he was about 84 years old. Just five days earlier, Hooker had played to a packed house at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, about 100 miles north of his home in Los Altos.

Classic Americana Playlist

External Links

John Lee Hooker – official site