The Texas Bluesman - Album
The Texas Bluesman (Album) by Lightnin' Hopkins
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Artist Biography For Lightnin' Hopkins
Samuel John "Lightnin'" Hopkins March 15 1912 – January 30 1982 Was An American Country Blues Singer Songwriter Guitarist And Occasional Pianist From Centerville Texas. Rolling Stone Magazine Ranked Him Number 71 On Its List Of The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time. The Musicologist Robert "Mack" McCormick Opined That Hopkins Is "the Embodiment Of The Jazz-And-Poetry Spirit Representing Its Ancient Form In The Single Creator Whose Words And Music Are One Act". Hopkins Was Born In Centerville Texas And As A Child Was Immersed In The Sounds Of The Blues. He Developed A Deep Appreciation For This Music At The Age Of 8 When He Met Blind Lemon Jefferson At A Church Picnic In Buffalo Texas. That Day Hopkins Felt The Blues Was "in Him". Citation Needed He Went On To Learn From His Older Distant Cousin The Country Blues Singer Alger "Texas" Alexander. Hopkins Had Another Cousin The Texas Electric Blues Guitarist Frankie Lee Sims With Whom He Later Recorded. Hopkins Began Accompanying Jefferson On Guitar At Informal Church Gatherings. Jefferson Reputedly Never Let Anyone Play With Him Except Young Hopkins And Hopkins Learned Much From Jefferson At These Gatherings. Hopkins's Style Was Born From Spending Many Hours Playing Informally Without A Backing Band. His Distinctive Fingerstyle Technique Often Included Playing In Effect Bass Rhythm Lead And Percussion At The Same Time. He Played Both "alternating" And "monotonic" Bass Styles Incorporating Imaginative Often Chromatic Turnarounds And Single-Note Lead Lines. Tapping Or Slapping The Body Of His Guitar Added Rhythmic Accompaniment. Much Of Hopkins's Music Follows The Standard 12-Bar Blues Template But His Phrasing Was Free And Loose. Many Of His Songs Were In The Talking Blues Style But He Was A Powerful And Confident Singer. Citation Needed Lyrically His Songs Expressed The Problems Of Life In The Segregated South Bad Luck In Love And Other Subjects Common In The Blues Idiom. He Dealt With These Subjects With Humor And Good Nature. Many Of His Songs Are Filled With Double Entendres And He Was Known For His Humorous Introductions To Songs. Hopkins Died Of Esophageal Cancer In Houston On January 30 1982 At The Age Of 69. His Obituary In The New York Times Described Him As "one Of The Great Country Blues Singers And Perhaps The Greatest Single Influence On Rock Guitar Players.".
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Biography - Lightnin' Hopkins
Samuel John "Lightnin'" Hopkins March 15 1912 – January 30 1982 Was An American Country Blues Singer Songwriter Guitarist And Occasional Pianist From Centerville Texas. Rolling Stone Magazine Ranked Him Number 71 On Its List Of The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time. The Musicologist Robert "Mack" McCormick Opined That Hopkins Is "the Embodiment Of The Jazz-And-Poetry Spirit Representing Its Ancient Form In The Single Creator Whose Words And Music Are One Act". Hopkins Was Born In Centerville Texas And As A Child Was Immersed In The Sounds Of The Blues. He Developed A Deep Appreciation For This Music At The Age Of 8 When He Met Blind Lemon Jefferson At A Church Picnic In Buffalo Texas. That Day Hopkins Felt The Blues Was "in Him". Citation Needed He Went On To Learn From His Older Distant Cousin The Country Blues Singer Alger "Texas" Alexander. Hopkins Had Another Cousin The Texas Electric Blues Guitarist Frankie Lee Sims With Whom He Later Recorded. Hopkins Began Accompanying Jefferson On Guitar At Informal Church Gatherings. Jefferson Reputedly Never Let Anyone Play With Him Except Young Hopkins And Hopkins Learned Much From Jefferson At These Gatherings. Hopkins's Style Was Born From Spending Many Hours Playing Informally Without A Backing Band. His Distinctive Fingerstyle Technique Often Included Playing In Effect Bass Rhythm Lead And Percussion At The Same Time. He Played Both "alternating" And "monotonic" Bass Styles Incorporating Imaginative Often Chromatic Turnarounds And Single-Note Lead Lines. Tapping Or Slapping The Body Of His Guitar Added Rhythmic Accompaniment. Much Of Hopkins's Music Follows The Standard 12-Bar Blues Template But His Phrasing Was Free And Loose. Many Of His Songs Were In The Talking Blues Style But He Was A Powerful And Confident Singer. Citation Needed Lyrically His Songs Expressed The Problems Of Life In The Segregated South Bad Luck In Love And Other Subjects Common In The Blues Idiom. He Dealt With These Subjects With Humor And Good Nature. Many Of His Songs Are Filled With Double Entendres And He Was Known For His Humorous Introductions To Songs. Hopkins Died Of Esophageal Cancer In Houston On January 30 1982 At The Age Of 69. His Obituary In The New York Times Described Him As "one Of The Great Country Blues Singers And Perhaps The Greatest Single Influence On Rock Guitar Players.".
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16 Similar Artists To Lightnin' Hopkins - Frogtoon Music
John Lee Hooker Elmore James Howlin' Wolf Big Joe Williams Mississippi Fred McDowell Blind Lemon Jefferson Jimmy Reed Muddy Waters Freddie King Big Bill Broonzy Robert Johnson Otis Rush T-Bone Walker Mississippi John Hurt Sonny Boy Williamson II Little Walter.
2. Meet You At The Chicken Shack 1962 In Houston With Spider Kilpatrick Drums Is A Jazzier Boogie Style With Considerable Instrumental.
3. Bald Headed Woman 1961 In Berkeley With Geno Landry Bass And Victor Leonard Drums .
tracks 4 To 9 Were Recorded In Houston In 1967.
4. Tom Moore Blues Tom Moore Was The Owner Of A Large Plantation .
5. Watch My Fingers Jazzier And Mainly Instrumental .
6. Love Like A Hydrant
7. Slavery Time
8. I Would If I Could Another Track That Is Somewhat Jazzier .
9. Bud Russell Blues Bud Russell Was Chief Transfer Agent For The Texas State Prison System .
tracks 10 To 13 Were Recorded In Houston In 1965 And Have Harold "Frenchy" Joseph On Drums.
10. Come On Baby A Jazzier Boogie Track With Large Amounts Of Instrumental .
11. Money Taker
12. Mama's Fight Another Jazzier Track .
13. My Woman
14. Send My Child Home To Me Solo 1969 In Berkeley Tracks 15 And 16 Were Recorded In 1969 In Berkeley And Include Francis Clay On Drums And Geno Scaggs On Bass.
15. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
16. Black And Evil
Published: 01 Jan 2018, 12:10
Sam "Lightning" Hopkins !912-1982 Was Raised In East Texas And Performed Mainly In The Houston Area During Most Of His Career. He Was Known To Play In Neighborhood Taverns For A Little Cash. He Recorded Some Sides In Houston In The 1940s And 50s 1946-1951 And Was Finally Tracked Down By Sam Charters And Chris Strachwitz In 1959. It Was The Former Who Convinced Hopkins To Go To New York City To Produce A Studio Recording And From There He Toured Some In The United States And Europe. His Playing Style In Recording Studios And On Tour Did Not Have The Flavor Of The Taverns With The Neighborhood Audience Interaction Something That Can Be Said For Most Musicians Starting Out In Local Clubs But He Has A Smooth Soft Vocal Style Compared To The Shouting Style Of Some Other Early Bluesmen. This CD Represents Recordings He Made In The 1960s. Many Are The Slower Texas Country Blues As Opposed To The Jazzy Modern Blues Many Performers Had Adopted In The 60s. The Tracks On The CD Were Recorded In Houston Texas And Berkeley California And Are From Previously Released Arhoolie Recordings. All Songs Have Lightnin' Hopkins Vocal And Guitar. Total Playing Time Is Over An Hour. They Include 1. Once Was A Gambler 1961 In Berkeley Geno Landry Bass Victor Leonard Drums .2. Meet You At The Chicken Shack 1962 In Houston With Spider Kilpatrick Drums Is A Jazzier Boogie Style With Considerable Instrumental.
3. Bald Headed Woman 1961 In Berkeley With Geno Landry Bass And Victor Leonard Drums .
tracks 4 To 9 Were Recorded In Houston In 1967.
4. Tom Moore Blues Tom Moore Was The Owner Of A Large Plantation .
5. Watch My Fingers Jazzier And Mainly Instrumental .
6. Love Like A Hydrant
7. Slavery Time
8. I Would If I Could Another Track That Is Somewhat Jazzier .
9. Bud Russell Blues Bud Russell Was Chief Transfer Agent For The Texas State Prison System .
tracks 10 To 13 Were Recorded In Houston In 1965 And Have Harold "Frenchy" Joseph On Drums.
10. Come On Baby A Jazzier Boogie Track With Large Amounts Of Instrumental .
11. Money Taker
12. Mama's Fight Another Jazzier Track .
13. My Woman
14. Send My Child Home To Me Solo 1969 In Berkeley Tracks 15 And 16 Were Recorded In 1969 In Berkeley And Include Francis Clay On Drums And Geno Scaggs On Bass.
15. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
16. Black And Evil