Earl Hooker

Earl Hooker

Hooker Earl Zebedee: Guitarrista, Organista, pianista y cantante (Clarksdales, Mississippi, 15 de enero de 1930 - Chicago, Illinois, 21 de abril de 1970). Dotado de una marcada personalidad, introdujo nuevas técnicas sin adulterar la pureza de la tradición. En los primeros años cuarenta actuaba en la vía pública (junto a Bo Diddley) y sobrevivía como podía, hasta que en 1947 ingresó en el grupo de Ike Turner, con el que recorrió en gira varios estados.

En 1949, hizo lo propio con Sonny Boy Williamson (Alex Miller), para finalmente formar grupo propio y encabezar la grabación de varios discos en Memphis y Chicago (1953-1955). Su etapa más brillante se inició en 1960, en Chicago, y duró sólo diez años, ya que le sorprendió la muerte. Muchos de sus pares lo consideran como el mejor guitarrista de blues.

Earl Hooker (January 15, 1929 – April 21, 1970) was an American Chicago blues guitarist, perhaps best known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", Hooker performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker (a cousin) as well as fronting 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. As a band leader, he recorded several singles and albums, in addition to recording with well-known artists. His "Blue Guitar", a popular Chicago area slide-guitar instrumental single, was later overdubbed with vocals by Muddy Waters and became the popular "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, Earl Hooker died in 1970 at age 41 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" Read more....