(1930-01-15)January 15, 1930 Quitman County, Mississippi, U.S.
Died
April 21, 1970(1970-04-21) (aged 40) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Blues
Occupation(s)
Musician
Instrument(s)
Guitar
vocals
Years active
1940s–1970
Labels
Cuca
Chief
Arhoolie
Bluesway
Musical artist
Earl Zebedee Hooker (January 15, 1930 – April 21, 1970)[1] was a Chicago blues guitarist known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician",[2] he performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker and fronted his own bands. An early player of the electric guitar, Hooker was influenced by the modern urban styles of T-Bone Walker and Robert Nighthawk. He recorded several singles and albums as a bandleader and with other well-known artists. His "Blue Guitar", a slide guitar instrumental single, was popular in the Chicago area and was later overdubbed with vocals by Muddy Waters as "You Shook Me".
In the late 1960s, Hooker began performing on the college and concert circuit and had several recording contracts. Just as his career was on an upswing, he died in 1970, at age 40, after a lifelong struggle with tuberculosis. His guitar playing has been acknowledged by many of his peers, including B.B. King, who commented, "to me he is the best of modern guitarists. Period. With the slide he was the best. It was nobody else like him, he was just one of a kind".[3]
^Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 198. ISBN 978-0313344237.
Earl Zebedee Hooker (January 15, 1930 – April 21, 1970) was a Chicago blues guitarist known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician"...
Since the 1930s, performers including Robert Johnson, Robert Nighthawk, EarlHooker, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters popularized slide guitar in electric...
professional basketball player Jazz Gillum (1904–1966), blues harmonica player EarlHooker (1929–1970), blues guitarist Big Walter "Shakey" Horton (1918–1981),...
Lee Hooker, and Howlin' Wolf. He played harmonica on numerous charting blues albums. He was also for a period of time, a side man in EarlHooker's band...
Dixon wrote the lyrics and EarlHooker provided the instrumental backing; the song features Waters' vocal in unison with Hooker's slide-guitar melody. "You...
accompanying him on "Jackson Town Gal" in 1950. In the 1950s, Perkins joined EarlHooker and began touring. He recorded "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" at Sam Phillips's...
recorded with various notable blues musicians, including Muddy Waters, EarlHooker, and Buddy Guy. He remained a fixture on the blues scene throughout his...
1972 The Trial of the Catonsville Nine George Mische 1972 Chato's Land EarlHooker 1973 Kamouraska Georges Nelson 1973 The Friends of Eddie Coyle Dave Foley...
1943 and 1944, he played at the Maxwell Street market in a band with EarlHooker. By 1951 he was playing on the street with backing from Roosevelt Jackson...
ABC-Paramount Records, begun by Bob Thiele in 1966. Artists such as John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rushing, Otis Spann, and T-Bone Walker were among those...
Chicago later that year, he came under the tutelage of Lacy Gibson and EarlHooker. In 1958, Lefty joined Sonny Thompson's road band, playing rhythm 'n'...
of Chicago blues artists Elmore James, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, and EarlHooker, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt...
2 Bugs and a Roach is an album by blues musician EarlHooker released by the Arhoolie label in 1969. Jimmy Page wanted a Gibson EDS-1275 guitar, after...
singer, and songwriter. Over a long career, he has worked with Magic Sam, EarlHooker, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Jesse Fuller, Spencer Davis, Ian Gillan, Do-Re-Mi...
Howlin' Wolf 1962: Wolf Sings the Blues Albert King 1962: The Big Blues EarlHooker 1969: Sweet Black Angel Gorillaz 2005: Demon Days Blues trail Ike-Turner...
Chicago blues artists, such as Elmore James, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, EarlHooker, and A.C. Reed. London's "Little by Little" was a hit for Junior Wells...
worked with blues legends such as Bo Diddley, Johnny Shines, Otis Rush, EarlHooker, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and others. Born in Chicago, Illinois, as...
Besides his own albums, he recorded as an accompanist or duo artist with EarlHooker, Robert Nighthawk, Lowell Fulson, Eddie Taylor, Louisiana Red and Jimmy...
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