John Lee Hooker

Two copies of this superb box set to be won

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John Lee Hooker - one of the most distinctive and influential blues men of all time, lauded by artists as diverse as Bonnie Rait and Santana.

Born near Clarksdale, Mississippi on 22 August 1917, to a family of sharecroppers , his introduction to the blues came from his stepfather, Will Moore. A blues singer and guitarist, Hooker credits his unusual guitar technique to Moore.

In the early 1940’s, Hooker followed many Southerners by migrating North in search of better job prospects and living conditions, he ended up working the auto factories of Detroit

He felt at home near the city’s bars and blues venues in the heart of Detroit's east side. Performing in Detroit clubs, his popularity grew quickly, and seeking a louder instrument than his crude acoustic guitar, he bought his first electric guitar.

He was "discovered" by record store owner Elmer Barbee who took him to Bernard Besman, a producer, record distributor and owner of Sensation Records, Besman lincensed some of his early Hooker recordings to Modern Records. One of Hooker's first recordings "Boogie Chillen" (1948) became a number one jukebox hit for Modern and his first million seller.

This was soon followed by an even bigger hit with "I'm In The Mood" and other great recordings including "Crawling Kingsnake" and "Hobo Blues." Another surge in his career took place with the release of more than 100 songs on Vee Jay Records during the 1950's and 1960's.

Hooker’s music started to gain international appeal during the 1960’s when the popularity of blues music soared under the patronage of British artists such as the Animals, John Mayall, Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds, they helped introduce Hooker's sound to a new audience.

This carried on into the 70s with a number of collaborations notably with
Van Morrison and Canned Heat. Canned Heat modeled their sound after Hooker's boggie and collaborated with him on several albums and tours. In his career he recorded over 100 albums.

His appearance in the 1980’s Blues Brothers movie heightened his profile yet further. The album “Healer” was released to critical acclaim and sales in excess of a million copies in 1989. He inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. He continued to perform around the world and collaborate with artists such as B.B. King, Branford Marsalis, Van Morrison, and Pete Townshend right up until his death in 2001.

The two box set albums were provided courtesy of Proper Records www.proper-records.co.uk