John Lee Hooker’s sparse blues sound was a major influence on the younger generations of blues musicians dominating the music scene in the 1960s and 1970s. His individual style retained a primitive purity at a time when many of his contemporaries were experimenting with groups and incorporating the influences of other types of music into their blues.

Hooker’s guitar technique was characterized by a simple drone in the bass, punctuated by sharp, melodic notes played on the upper strings; his music had a loose structure and yet was driven by his rhythms, with constantly repeated figures pushing the beat forward and creating an almost hypnotic effect. This adaptable foundation that Hooker created left room for him to improvise, both musically and lyrically. While his guitar style showed external influences, his rich, heavy vocals were more in the Mississippi tradition that one might expect.

An Informal Musical Education

John Lee Hooker was born on 22 August 1917 near Clarksdale, Mississippi into a family of agricultural labourers. He got his first instrument from singer Tony Hollins, but he was taught how to play by his stepfather, Will Moore. Moore would play weekends at jukes and functions in various Delta locations, often in the company of blues greats such as Charley Patton or Son House. A Louisiana musician, Moore’s playing style differed from his Mississippi counterparts and his trademark was a rhythmic pattern that his stepson picked up and made his own; he called it the boogie. The young Hooker was also a regular churchgoer and it was in this environment that he honed his vocal talents, participating and soloing in church choirs and gospel groups.

In Search Of A Calling

By 1933, John Lee Hooker had left Mississippi and his family for good. He took various menial jobs and played some music in Memphis but soon left for Cincinatti, where he was to stay for several years. At this stage, he had not yet considered the possibility of taking up music as a full-time career, and held down a steady job outside music, although he played at parties and functions on weekends. During his time in Cincinnati, he also sang with several different gospel quartets.

In 1943, Hooker moved to Detroit. He played regularly in clubs and record shops on the east side of the city, around Hastings Street (the centre of the African-American quarter), but still had his basic employment outside music until he was spotted playing by a record-store owner, who introduced him to a local record distributor, Bernie Bessman. As it happened, Bessman was on the lookout for a rhythm & blues act in order to tap into what was then a growing and lucrative market within the music business. Hooker’s first recording for Bessman’s Sensation label was in September 1948.

‘Boogie Chillen’ Enters The Chart

The first Hooker record, a stomping, up-tempo boogie called ‘Boogie Chillen’, featured simply Hooker’s vocals, guitar and tapping foot, and was a huge success. Hooker’s music had a different quality...

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