Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker (January 15, 1930 – April 21, 1970) was an American blues guitarist.
Born Earl Zebedee Hooker in Quitman County, Mississippi, his impoverished family moved to Chicago, Illinois when he was still an infant. Influenced by parents and relatives who played music, he was a cousin of John Lee Hooker and began playing guitar as a teenager. An instrumentalist, within a few years Hooker put together a band that toured the United States and made some of his first recordings for Sam Phillips at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Read Full BioEarl Hooker (January 15, 1930 – April 21, 1970) was an American blues guitarist.
Born Earl Zebedee Hooker in Quitman County, Mississippi, his impoverished family moved to Chicago, Illinois when he was still an infant. Influenced by parents and relatives who played music, he was a cousin of John Lee Hooker and began playing guitar as a teenager. An instrumentalist, within a few years Hooker put together a band that toured the United States and made some of his first recordings for Sam Phillips at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. He eventually became an important part of the Chicago blues scene. Hooker played in the American Folk Blues Festival in England in 1969. Although he never received the public recognition to the same extent as some of his contemporaries, Jimi Hendrix proclaimed Earl Hooker as the "master of the wah-wah" and his talent was greatly respected by other notable musicians such as B.B. King, Ike Turner, Junior Wells, and Buddy Guy. Hooker played slide guitar on the 1962 Muddy Waters recording, "You Shook Me." He was the only slide player on a Muddy Waters recording besides Muddy himself. Hooker also helped popularized the double-neck guitar.
Earl Hooker died at the age of 40 after a lifelong struggle against tuberculosis, which is alluded to in the title of a 1972 compilation album of his work, "There's a Fungus Among Us." He was interred in the Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. His story was told in a 2001 book by author Sebastian Danchin titled Earl Hooker, Blues Master.
Born Earl Zebedee Hooker in Quitman County, Mississippi, his impoverished family moved to Chicago, Illinois when he was still an infant. Influenced by parents and relatives who played music, he was a cousin of John Lee Hooker and began playing guitar as a teenager. An instrumentalist, within a few years Hooker put together a band that toured the United States and made some of his first recordings for Sam Phillips at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Read Full BioEarl Hooker (January 15, 1930 – April 21, 1970) was an American blues guitarist.
Born Earl Zebedee Hooker in Quitman County, Mississippi, his impoverished family moved to Chicago, Illinois when he was still an infant. Influenced by parents and relatives who played music, he was a cousin of John Lee Hooker and began playing guitar as a teenager. An instrumentalist, within a few years Hooker put together a band that toured the United States and made some of his first recordings for Sam Phillips at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. He eventually became an important part of the Chicago blues scene. Hooker played in the American Folk Blues Festival in England in 1969. Although he never received the public recognition to the same extent as some of his contemporaries, Jimi Hendrix proclaimed Earl Hooker as the "master of the wah-wah" and his talent was greatly respected by other notable musicians such as B.B. King, Ike Turner, Junior Wells, and Buddy Guy. Hooker played slide guitar on the 1962 Muddy Waters recording, "You Shook Me." He was the only slide player on a Muddy Waters recording besides Muddy himself. Hooker also helped popularized the double-neck guitar.
Earl Hooker died at the age of 40 after a lifelong struggle against tuberculosis, which is alluded to in the title of a 1972 compilation album of his work, "There's a Fungus Among Us." He was interred in the Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. His story was told in a 2001 book by author Sebastian Danchin titled Earl Hooker, Blues Master.
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Anthony Nassar
A guitarist's guitarist, perpetually underrated. His touch on slide is unsurpassed.
Wreckless James
Spot on
surfercrow
An Earl Hooker original, 1962 — Before Willie Dixon added lyrics to it (and Muddy sang it), THREE years before Jeff Beck & The Yardbirds cut “Steeled Blues”, SIX years before Jeff Beck Group cut “You Shook Me” and SEVEN years before Led Zeppelin did the same. Earl Hooker, Chicago Blues Legend.
Mario Santana
Thanks for the info, I was looking in the internet and couldn't find it., great discovery for me this musician.
New Falconer Records
Hard to listen to this without singing: "you know you shook me babeh..." to yourself, be it either Muddy Waters or Led Zeppelin. Jeff Beck was obviously a big fan too. Just listen to the Yardbirds' "Steeled Blues" plus his own version of "You Shook Me" on the Truth album. Thanks for posting! Great quality audio.
Henry Krinkles
Wonderful example of slide guitar in standard tuning...never heard it without Muddy singing!
Craig McCauley
Love the blues!
Craig McCauley
Love the blues!
Drinbeats
Sou viajante do tempo e vim dizer que venho de 1960 pra apreciar essa bela musica no YouTube
Nick Salvatore
This is right up there with Green Onions for me, as far as Instrumental Blues is concerned.