Lazy Lester (Leslie Carswell Johnson, Torras, Louisiana, U.S., June 20, 1… Read Full Bio ↴Lazy Lester (Leslie Carswell Johnson, Torras, Louisiana, U.S., June 20, 1933 - August 22, 2018) was an American blues singer, harmonica player, guitarist and songwriter. His career has spanned the 1950s to 2018.
Best known for regional hits recorded with Ernie Young's Nashville-based Excello Records, Lester also contributed to songs recorded by other Excello artists, including Slim Harpo, Lightnin' Slim, and Katie Webster. Cover versions of his songs have been recorded by (among others) the Kinks, the Flamin' Groovies, Freddy Fender, Dwight Yoakam, Dave Edmunds, Raful Neal, Anson Funderburgh, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. In the comeback stage of his career (since the late 1980s) he has recorded new albums backed by Mike Buck, Sue Foley, Gene Taylor, Kenny Neal, Lucky Peterson, and Jimmie Vaughan.
In the mid-1950s, Lester was on the margins of the Louisiana blues scene. According to Rolling Stone (February 23, 2006), Buddy Guy, before moving to Chicago, had played in Louisiana "with some of the old masters: Lightnin' Hopkins, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo." When Guy left for Chicago, in 1957, Lester replaced him, on guitar, in a local band—even though Lester, at the time, did not own one.
Lester's career took off when he found a seat next to Lightnin' Slim on a bus transporting Slim to an Excello recording session. At the studio, the scheduled harmonica player did not appear. Slim and Lester spent the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to find him, when Lester volunteered that he could play the harmonica. Lester's work on that first Lightnin' Slim session led the producer, Jay Miller, to record Lester as solo artist and also to use him as a multi-instrumentalist on percussion, guitar, bass, and harmonica in sessions headlined by other artists whose recorings were produced by Miller, including, notably, Slim Harpo. "Percussion" on these sessions went beyond the traditional drum kit and included a rolled-up newspaper striking a cardboard box.
Miller dubbed Lester "Lazy Lester" because of his laconic, laid-back style.
More than his vocal delivery, Lester is best remembered for songs that were later covered by a wide range of rock, country, blues, and Tex-Mex stars, chiefly, "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter," "I Hear You Knockin'," and "Sugar Coated Love."
Lester stated that he wrote these songs, but almost all are credited to Miller or to Lester and Miller. Lester also stated he received few royalties, which embittered him and made him skeptical of the music industry. By the late 1960s, he had given up on the music industry, working manual labor and pursuing his favorite hobby—fishing. Lester moved to Pontiac, Michigan, living with Slim Harpo's sister.
In 1971, Fred Reif set up a Lightnin' Slim concert at the University of Chicago Folk Festival, and Lester was brought up from Louisiana to accompany him. A few weeks after that performance, Lester was back in Louisiana. Years later Reif and Lester were both in Michigan, from where Reif orchestrated a comeback. Lester recorded and played around the United States and abroad, backed by blues bands, including, frequently, Loaded Dice.
Lester's recordings in this period are on blues labels Alligator and Telarc, alongside releases in Europe.
If disenchanted, Lester retained his harmonica, guitar, and vocal talents (the songwriting that had been muse to the Kinks and Dwight Yoakam having dried up long before). In September 2002, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Boston Blues Society.
In 2003, Martin Scorsese included Lester in his blues tribute concert at Radio City Music Hall, a record of which was released as the film and album Lightning in a Bottle. The group photograph inside the album depicted Lester grinning, dead-center among peers and musical progeny including B.B. King, Solomon Burke, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Buddy Guy, Levon Helm, Chuck D, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, John Fogerty, and Aerosmith.
In 2012, Lester teamed up with British Blues Woman Dani Wilde to play a special double headline concert as part of Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival.
Lester appeared and performed in a television commercial aired nationally for Geico Insurance in 2018.
He appears in the 2015 documentary film I Am the Blues.
Lester lived in Paradise, California, with his girlfriend. He died in August, 2018.
Best known for regional hits recorded with Ernie Young's Nashville-based Excello Records, Lester also contributed to songs recorded by other Excello artists, including Slim Harpo, Lightnin' Slim, and Katie Webster. Cover versions of his songs have been recorded by (among others) the Kinks, the Flamin' Groovies, Freddy Fender, Dwight Yoakam, Dave Edmunds, Raful Neal, Anson Funderburgh, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. In the comeback stage of his career (since the late 1980s) he has recorded new albums backed by Mike Buck, Sue Foley, Gene Taylor, Kenny Neal, Lucky Peterson, and Jimmie Vaughan.
In the mid-1950s, Lester was on the margins of the Louisiana blues scene. According to Rolling Stone (February 23, 2006), Buddy Guy, before moving to Chicago, had played in Louisiana "with some of the old masters: Lightnin' Hopkins, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo." When Guy left for Chicago, in 1957, Lester replaced him, on guitar, in a local band—even though Lester, at the time, did not own one.
Lester's career took off when he found a seat next to Lightnin' Slim on a bus transporting Slim to an Excello recording session. At the studio, the scheduled harmonica player did not appear. Slim and Lester spent the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to find him, when Lester volunteered that he could play the harmonica. Lester's work on that first Lightnin' Slim session led the producer, Jay Miller, to record Lester as solo artist and also to use him as a multi-instrumentalist on percussion, guitar, bass, and harmonica in sessions headlined by other artists whose recorings were produced by Miller, including, notably, Slim Harpo. "Percussion" on these sessions went beyond the traditional drum kit and included a rolled-up newspaper striking a cardboard box.
Miller dubbed Lester "Lazy Lester" because of his laconic, laid-back style.
More than his vocal delivery, Lester is best remembered for songs that were later covered by a wide range of rock, country, blues, and Tex-Mex stars, chiefly, "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter," "I Hear You Knockin'," and "Sugar Coated Love."
Lester stated that he wrote these songs, but almost all are credited to Miller or to Lester and Miller. Lester also stated he received few royalties, which embittered him and made him skeptical of the music industry. By the late 1960s, he had given up on the music industry, working manual labor and pursuing his favorite hobby—fishing. Lester moved to Pontiac, Michigan, living with Slim Harpo's sister.
In 1971, Fred Reif set up a Lightnin' Slim concert at the University of Chicago Folk Festival, and Lester was brought up from Louisiana to accompany him. A few weeks after that performance, Lester was back in Louisiana. Years later Reif and Lester were both in Michigan, from where Reif orchestrated a comeback. Lester recorded and played around the United States and abroad, backed by blues bands, including, frequently, Loaded Dice.
Lester's recordings in this period are on blues labels Alligator and Telarc, alongside releases in Europe.
If disenchanted, Lester retained his harmonica, guitar, and vocal talents (the songwriting that had been muse to the Kinks and Dwight Yoakam having dried up long before). In September 2002, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Boston Blues Society.
In 2003, Martin Scorsese included Lester in his blues tribute concert at Radio City Music Hall, a record of which was released as the film and album Lightning in a Bottle. The group photograph inside the album depicted Lester grinning, dead-center among peers and musical progeny including B.B. King, Solomon Burke, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Buddy Guy, Levon Helm, Chuck D, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, John Fogerty, and Aerosmith.
In 2012, Lester teamed up with British Blues Woman Dani Wilde to play a special double headline concert as part of Gloucester Rhythm and Blues Festival.
Lester appeared and performed in a television commercial aired nationally for Geico Insurance in 2018.
He appears in the 2015 documentary film I Am the Blues.
Lester lived in Paradise, California, with his girlfriend. He died in August, 2018.
Go Ahead
Lazy Lester Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Go Ahead' by these artists:
Alicia Keys Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh O…
Alicia Keys(阿丽西娅 吉丝) Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…
Anohni You are determined to take me down I won't stop you,…
Bleeding Rainbow Some things need to change, nothing will stay the same So…
Brandon Markell Holmes It's something else in me Oh I'm here if you want it Go…
Chamillionaire Talking*) I′m the truest to do it, I'm the truest to…
Ciipher Just go ahead and go If you′re fine 난 기분 따라왔다 갔다…
Disciple Here comes your empty talking Empty words and empty soul H…
DJ Khaled Yeah I met this shorty last night right Real Rap And you…
DJ Khaled/Fabolous/Fat Joe/Flo Rida/Lloyd/Rick Ross Yeah I met this shorty last night right Real Rap And you…
Dr. John Yeah... One, two, princes kneel before you That's what I sai…
Eric Bay Go ahead and try - try to break me if…
Fabolous Feat. Flo Rida Fat Joe Rick Ross & Lloyd Yeah I met this shorty last night right Real Rap And you…
Fabolous Flo Rida Fat Joe Rick Ross & Loyd Yeah, I met this shorty last night right Real Rap And you…
Fireflight Yesterday I heard Your voice Whispering through all the nois…
Fox feat. Paulina Przybysz Go ahead slap my face and I won't feel it Only knowledge…
Girugamësh 荒れ狂う大空 燃えるように 瞬いて ひび割れている 雲間から 一筋の光 降り注いで ah Give up Given…
Good Son Stuck on you when I'm home I can't go out on…
Goofy's Holiday It's all right, game is stavted, All or NOTHIN' I don't have…
GRIM DELAROSA I'm a little girl, like a superhero Hey, Grim Delarosa, turn…
In Essence Gave you everything, all my heart could give just for…
J I don't know how you go on with your sorrows Weighing…
J.B. Smith Go ahead and make me cry Go ahead and make me…
Jennifer Trynin Yeah yeah yeah I'll just have one more cigerette Before I g…
Karen Clark Sheard Stop thinkin' the worst, be more of a winner If you…
Karra I can do anything I want Get up put my mind…
Keys Alicia Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh O…
Leaether Strip Go ahead if you have to - I won't try…
Lil Rob [Mr. Shadow] Quivole Mr. Shadow, Lil' Rob Viscious Man Funk …
Lil Rob & Mr. Shadow [Mr. Shadow] Quivole Mr. Shadow Lil Rob VMF On the board for…
Min Go ahead I'm here You can do it boy, don't…
MIXER - K You wanna leave well go ahead You wanna bounce well go…
Mr. Knightowl [Mr. Shadow] Quivole Mr. Shadow Lil Rob VMF On the board for…
Mr. Shadow & Lil Rob feat. Lil Rob, VMF [Mr. Shadow] Quivole Mr. Shadow Lil Rob …
Mr. Shadow feat. Lil Rob [Mr. Shadow] Quivole Mr. Shadow Lil Rob VMF On the board for…
New Better Spring Band Dear, can you see me ‘Cause I feel, like I’m not…
Nina Hagen Move on, time to move The clock will never stop Move on,…
Os Replicantes Then, I hear (yes! I hear) the sound of your…
Pale Sunday Are you sure you wanna end it all, my love? Do…
Perfume Genius What you think? I don't remember asking What you mean? Baby …
Pillow Person Go ahead and start in your way It′s not a problem,…
PsychwardBlur Go ahead and leave me in the past Just like you…
Radio Iodine Go ahead ... say it again ... you didn't mean…
Rick Ross Fabolous Flo Rida Fat Joe & Lloyd Yeah, I met this shorty last night right Real Rap And you…
Rilo Kiley If you want to find yourself by traveling out west…
Rocco Ten seconds to go, Five seconds to go. And now,…
Sarah Blackwood Go head do do whatcha wanna do Go head say say…
Skyërn Aklea GO AHEAD VERSE 1 : I don't believe in anything you live…
The Grillo go ahead! Hey man our time is over Hey hey go ahead! I…
The Rosebuds Go ahead and be my world And everything will be okay Just…
Timbaland Man I'm talking ‘bout I'm in the pussy|Man I'm talking…
Tina Turner You see me smile but you paint an ugly face Everything…
Wire Forensic evidence proves By the profile of the grooves A ser…
¥ellow Bucks 気になってんだろ Lil' bitch gon' come my way 意地張りなあいつはオレに乗っかってる 最近のオ…
平井 堅 知り合ってく人の数だけ 僕の人格も増えてくようで 時々 本当は誰か わからなくなるよ 壊れることをただ恐れて 隠したいも…
鈴里真帆 意外とShyなあなたの事を いつしか好きになっていた 何度も恋はしてきたけれど こんな気持ち初めてなのよ oh 雨が胸を…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Lazy Lester:
I You went away and left me long time ago And now…
I Hear You Knockin' You went away and left me long time ago And now…
I Love You I Need You You went away and left me long time ago And now…
Irene In the middle of a dream, I heard somebody call…
Lester's Stomp phil lester singing i repeat phil lester singing phil phil p…
Nothing But the Devil Well you know yourself little girl, You ain't treating your…
St Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Sugar Coated Love You ought to see my baby You know that girl is…
Sugar Coates Love You ought to see my baby You know that girl is…
Ya Ya Oh, well, I'm sittin' here, la, la Waiting for my ya…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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