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55-397: 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

110-572: A wah-wah pedal in 1968 to add a vocal-like quality to some of his solos. Hooker did not receive as much public recognition as some of his contemporaries, but he was highly regarded by musicians. Many consider him among the greatest modern blues guitarists, including Wayne Bennett , Bobby "Blue" Bland , Albert Collins , Willie Dixon , Ronnie Earl , Tinsley Ellis , Guitar Shorty , Buddy Guy , John Lee Hooker , Albert King , B.B. King , Little Milton , Louis Myers , Lucky Peterson , Otis Rush , Joe Louis Walker , and Junior Wells . In 2013, Hooker

165-660: A "coherence and consistency" that helped to make the album another part of Hooker's "finest musical legacy". Touring with his band in California took Hooker to the San Francisco Bay area in July 1969, where he played club and college dates and rock venues, such as The Matrix and the Fillmore West . In Berkeley, he and his band, billed as Earl Hooker and His Chicago Blues Band, performed at a club, Mandrake's, for two weeks as he recorded

220-481: A Roach , by Hooker and his new band. The album, released in the spring of 1969, included a mix of instrumentals and songs with vocals by Odom, Bell, and Hooker. For one of his vocals, Hooker chose "Anna Lee", a song based on Robert Nighthawk's "Annie Lee Blues" (1949). As he had done earlier with "Sweet Angel", Hooker acknowledged his mentor's influence but went beyond Nighthawk's version to create his own interpretation. The "brilliant bebop [-influenced]" instrumental "Off

275-477: A band with the blues drummer and vocalist Kansas City Red . In 1952, Hooker began recording for several independent record companies. His early singles were often credited to the vocalist he recorded with, although some instrumentals (and his occasional vocal) were issued in Hooker's name. Songs by Hooker and blues and R&B artists, including Johnny O'Neal , Little Sam Davis , Boyd Gilmore , Pinetop Perkins ,

330-421: A country-western favorite. Hooker was a flamboyant showman in the style of T-Bone Walker and predated others with a similar approach, such as Guitar Slim and Johnny "Guitar" Watson . He wore flashy clothes and picked the guitar with his teeth or his feet or played it behind his neck or between his legs. He also played a double-neck guitar , at first a six-string guitar and four-string bass combination and later

385-526: A few dates around Chicago (including some with Junior Wells) from November to early December 1969, after which he was hospitalized. Hooker died on April 21, 1970, at age 40, of complications due to tuberculosis. He is interred in Restvale Cemetery , in the Chicago suburb of Alsip. Unlike his contemporaries Elmore James and Muddy Waters, Hooker used standard tuning on his guitar for slide playing. He used

440-494: A household in the county was $ 20,636, and the median income for a family was $ 25,394. Males had a median income of $ 23,571 versus $ 16,993 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 10,817. About 28.60% of families and 33.10% of the population were below the poverty line , including 43.10% of those under age 18 and 30.60% of those age 65 or over. Quitman County has the fifth-lowest per capita income in Mississippi and

495-463: A new band and began performing in Chicago clubs and touring, against his doctor's advice. The band, with the pianist Pinetop Perkins , the harmonica player Carey Bell , the bassist Geno Skaggs, the vocalist Andrew Odom , and the steel guitar player Freddie Roulette , was "widely acclaimed" and "considered one of the best Earl had ever carried with him". On the basis of a recommendation from Buddy Guy , Arhoolie Records recorded an album, Two Bugs and

550-445: A recording session captured perhaps Hooker's best-known composition (although by a different title). During the warm-up preceding a session in May 1961, Hooker and his band played an impromptu slow blues featuring his slide guitar. The tune was played once, and Hooker was apparently not aware that it was being recorded. Producer Mel London saved the tape and, when looking for material to release

605-485: A second album for Arhoolie. The album, Hooker and Steve , was recorded with Louis Myers on harmonica, Steve Miller on keyboards, Geno Skaggs on bass, and Bobby Robinson on drums. Hooker shared the vocals with Miller and Skaggs. After his California sojourn, Hooker returned to Chicago and performed regularly around the city. He appeared at the first Chicago Blues Festival on August 30, 1969, which attracted about 10,000 people. In October 1969, Hooker toured Europe as part of

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660-510: A short steel slide, which allowed him to switch between slide and fretted playing during a song with greater ease. Part of his slide sound has been attributed to his light touch, a technique he learned from Robert Nighthawk. "Instead of using full-chord glissando effects, he preferred the more subtle single-note runs inherited from others who played slide in standard tuning, [such as] Tampa Red , Houston Stackhouse , and his mentor Robert Nighthawk." In addition to his mastery of slide guitar, Hooker

715-689: A sideman for Bobby Saxton and Betty Everett and in his own name for the Bea & Baby, C.J., and Checker labels. By 1964, the last of the Chief labels went out of business, ending his longest association with a record label. For some, his recordings for the Chief–Profile–Age group are his best work. Hooker continued touring and began recording for Cuca Records , Jim-Ko, C.J., Duplex, and Globe. Several songs recorded for Cuca between 1964 and 1967 were released on his first album, The Genius of Earl Hooker . The album

770-405: A train of mules to Washington, D.C. to protest about economic conditions. According to wagonmaster Willie Bolden, white citizens of Marks harassed the mule train on its way out of town. Bolden stated that they "would drive by blowing their horns, purposely trying to spook the mules and us." More recently, Quitman County residents have made an effort to promote tourism based on the county's role in

825-427: A twelve- and six-string combination. After his 1967 tuberculosis attack left him weakened, he sometimes played while seated and used a lighter single-neck guitar. In a genre that typically shunned gadgetry , Hooker was an exception. He experimented with amplification and used echo and tape delay , including "double-tracking his playing during a song, [so] he could pick simultaneously two solos in harmony". He began using

880-747: A version of fellow Delta bluesman Robert Johnson 's track, " Ramblin' on My Mind ". He could play guitar, although there is no recorded evidence of his work on that instrument. According to AllMusic , he was "an exuberant singer". Sources vary over the details of his birth. Gilmore was either born near Inverness, Mississippi , in 1905, or to Sam Gilmore and Luella Bryant on June 12, 1910 in Belzoni, Mississippi . He recorded " Ramblin' on My Mind " on January 23, 1952, at Casablanca Lounge in Greenville, Mississippi , which he sang with accompaniment by Ike Turner on piano and Jesse "Cleanhead" Love on drums. The track

935-578: A while. He also performed regularly in St. Louis , Missouri , and Pine Bluff, Arkansas , during which period he lived in a boarded-up abandoned house. During the years he lived in Pine Bluff, Gilmore and Houston Stackhouse performed together, as they had previously, in the early 1950s. While in Pine Bluff, he often performed at a small club called Jack Rabbitts. In the late 1960s, Gilmore settled in California and lived there until his death on December 23, 1976. He

990-797: The 51st lowest in the United States. The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) operates the Quitman County Community Work Center (CWC) in an area near Lambert. In addition MDOC operates the Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman) in an unincorporated area in Sunflower County , in the area. Camp B, an inmate housing unit, was a satellite complex located away from the main Parchman prison property in unincorporated Quitman County, near Lambert . Camp B

1045-499: The American Folk Blues Festival , playing twenty concerts in twenty-three days in nine countries. His sets were well received and garnered favorable reviews. "The journey overseas was a sort of apotheosis for Hooker, who regarded it, along with his recording trips to California, as the climax of his career." The tour exhausted him, and "his friends noticed a severe deterioration of his health upon his return." Hooker played

1100-778: The Chief–Profile–Age group of labels, with which he began one of the most fruitful periods of his recording career. Their first recording together, "Little by Little" (Profile 4011), was a hit the following year, reaching number 23 on the Billboard Hot R&;B Sides chart. With this success and his rapport with Chief owner and producer Mel London , Hooker became Chief's house guitarist. From 1959 to 1963, he appeared on about forty Chief recordings, including singles for Wells, Lillian Offitt, Magic Sam , A.C. Reed , Ricky Allen , Reggie "Guitar" Boyd, Johnny "Big Moose" Walker , and Jackie Brenston , as well as singles on which Hooker

1155-525: The Dells , Arbee Stidham , Lorenzo Smith, and Harold Tidwell, were recorded for King , Rockin', Sun , Argo , Vee-Jay , States , United , and C.J. (several of these recordings, including all of the Sun sessions, were unissued at the time). The harmonica player Little Arthur Duncan often accompanied Hooker during this period. Among these early singles was Hooker's first recorded vocal performance, an interpretation of

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1210-635: The Poor People's Campaign to start in Quitman County because of the intense and visible economic disparity there. On March 18, 1968, King visited the town of Marks, Mississippi . He watched a teacher feeding black schoolchildren their lunch, consisting only of a slice of apple and some crackers, and was moved to tears. After King's death, the Southern part of the Campaign began in Quitman County. Participants rode

1265-483: The U.S. state of Mississippi . As of the 2020 census , the population was 6,176, making it the third-least populous county in Mississippi. Its county seat is Marks . The county is named after John A. Quitman , Governor of Mississippi from 1835 to 1836 and from 1850 to 1851. Quitman County is located in the Mississippi Delta region of Mississippi. The county was developed for cotton cultivation. Much of

1320-513: The census of 2000, there were 10,117 people, 3,565 households, and 2,506 families living in the county. The population density was 25 people per square mile (9.7 people/km ). There were 3,923 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 68.62% Black or African American , 30.47% White , 0.13% Native American , 0.17% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.08% from other races , and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.54% of

1375-524: The Hook" showed his jazz leanings. Two Bugs and a Roach was "extremely well-received by critics and the public" and "stands today as [part of] Hooker's finest musical legacy." The year 1969 was an important one in Hooker's career. He again teamed with Junior Wells, performing at higher-paying college dates and concerts, including Chicago's Kinetic Playground . This pairing did not last long, and in May 1969, after assembling new players, Hooker recorded material that

1430-460: The Poor People's Campaign. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 406 square miles (1,050 km ), of which 405 square miles (1,050 km ) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km ) (0.3%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Mississippi by land area and third-smallest by total area. Reflecting the decreased need for farm labor after mechanization and

1485-436: The blues classic " Black Angel Blues ". His vocals were more than adequate but lacked the power usually associated with blues singers . Hooker's "Sweet Angel" (1953, Rockin' 513) was based on Nighthawk's "Black Angel Blues" (1949) and showed that "Hooker had by now transcended his teacher". (B.B. King later had a hit with his interpretation, "Sweet Little Angel", in 1956.) One of Hooker's most successful singles during this period

1540-445: The blues scales" and intricate chording, appealed to Hooker. Walker's stage dynamics, which included playing the guitar behind his neck and with his teeth, influenced Hooker's later stage act. Around this time, Hooker became friends with Robert Nighthawk , one of the first guitarists in Chicago to play the electric guitar. Nighthawk taught Hooker slide guitar techniques, including various tunings and his highly articulated approach, and

1595-617: The bottomlands behind the riverfront were not developed until the late 19th century, and population continued to increase as the frontier was cleared and cultivated. The county reached its peak population in 1940. Agricultural mechanization reduced the need for farm labor, and workers were recruited to northern and midwestern industrial cities. Thousands of African Americans left in the Great Migration , many going upriver to St. Louis and Chicago . Martin Luther King Jr. originally wanted

1650-530: The development of industrial farms, the population has declined by more than two thirds since its peak in 1940. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 6,176 people, 3,027 households, and 1,833 families residing in the county. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 8,223 people living in the county. 69.6% were Black or African American , 29.0% White , 0.2% Native American , 0.1% Asian , 0.3% of some other race and 0.8% of two or more races . 0.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). As of

1705-491: The following spring, issued it as "Blue Guitar" (Age 29106). "Earl's song sold unusually well for an instrumental blues side", and Chicago-area bluesmen included it in their sets. Sensing greater commercial potential for Hooker's "Blue Guitar", Leonard Chess approached London about using it for the next Muddy Waters record. An agreement was reached, and in July 1962 Waters overdubbed a vocal (with lyrics by Willie Dixon ) on Hooker's single. The song, renamed " You Shook Me ",

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1760-417: The guitar. He was self-taught and picked up what he could from those around him. He developed proficiency on the guitar but showed no interest in singing. He had pronounced stuttering, which afflicted him all his life. Hooker contracted tuberculosis when he was young. The disease did not become critical until the mid-1950s, but it required periodic hospitalizations, beginning at an early age. By 1942, when he

1815-485: The local public schools. 34°15′N 90°17′W  /  34.25°N 90.29°W  / 34.25; -90.29 Boyd Gilmore Boyd Gilmore (June 1, 1905 or June 12, 1910 – December 23, 1976) was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. Among the songs he wrote were "All in My Dreams", "Believe I'll Settle Down", "I Love My Little Woman" and "If That's Your Girl". Gilmore also recorded

1870-488: The majority of white students had been moved into newly established private academies. This situation has continued; in 2007 the Mississippi Department of Education found that the students in the district were 97.92% African American, 1.81% White, and 0.27% Hispanic. Schools in Quitman County remain effectively segregated by race. White students almost exclusively attend private schools while Black children attend

1925-458: The music scene in Memphis , Tennessee, but was soon back on the road, fronting his own band. By the early 1950s he had returned to Chicago and was performing regularly in clubs. This set the pattern that he repeated for most of his life: extensive touring with various musicians interspersed with establishing himself in various cities before returning to the Chicago club scene. During this time, he formed

1980-551: The offenders, and the board of supervisors shall furnish transportation to and from the Parchman facility for offenders." On July 24, 1969, federal judge William Keady found that Quitman County school officials were maintaining an unconstitutional de jure racially segregated school system, and he placed the school board under the supervision of United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi . As of 1993, this order had not been set aside. In March 1991,

2035-451: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2000, there were 3,565 households, out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.60% were married couples living together, 26.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

2090-629: The school board asked the district court for permission to close Crowder elementary and junior high school, a majority-white school. The court gave permission, and a group of parents sued for an injunction to prevent the closing. The district court denied them an injunction, and this decision was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit . By 1975, the majority of African-American students in Quitman County were attending public schools, which had earlier been segregated. But

2145-707: The title track. While in Los Angeles, Hooker visited clubs and sat in with Albert Collins at the Ash Grove several times and jammed with others, including Jimi Hendrix . After the Blue Thumb recording session, Hooker and his band backed his cousin John Lee Hooker on a series of club dates in California, after which John Lee used them for a recording session for Bluesway Records . The resulting album, John Lee Hooker Featuring Earl Hooker – If You Miss 'Im ... I Got 'Im ,

2200-450: Was "Frog Hop", recorded in 1956 (Argo 5265), an upbeat instrumental in which the influence of T-Bone Walker's swing blues and chording techniques can be heard, but Hooker's own style is also apparent. Despite a major attack of tuberculosis in 1956, which required hospitalization, Hooker returned to performing in Chicago clubs and touring the South. By late 1959, Junior Wells had brought Hooker to

2255-647: Was 12, Hooker was performing on Chicago street corners with childhood friends, including Bo Diddley . From the beginning, the blues was Hooker's favorite music. In this period, country -influenced blues was giving way to swing -influenced and jump blues styles, which often featured the electric guitar . In 1942, the popular guitarist T-Bone Walker began a three-month stint at the Rhumboogie Club in Chicago. He had considerable impact on Hooker, with both his playing and his showmanship. Walker's swing-influenced blues guitar, including "the jazzy way he would sometimes run

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2310-400: Was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.42. In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.00% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 86.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.30 males. The median income for

2365-507: Was Earl Hooker's introduction to the Bluesway label, a subsidiary of ABC and home to B.B. King. He recorded six more albums for Bluesway in 1969: his own Don't Have to Worry and albums by Andrew Odom , Johnny "Big Moose" Walker, Charles Brown , Jimmy Witherspoon , and Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry . Hooker's Don't Have to Worry included vocal performances by him and by Walker and Odom, along with instrumental selections. The session had

2420-414: Was a lasting influence on Hooker's playing. Also around this time, Hooker met Junior Wells , another important figure in his career. The two were frequent street performers, and sometimes, to avoid foul weather (or truancy officers), they played in streetcars, riding from one line to another across Chicago. Around 1946, Hooker traveled to Helena, Arkansas , where he performed with Robert Nighthawk. When he

2475-443: Was also a highly developed standard-guitar soloist and rhythm player. At a time when many blues guitarists were emulating B.B. King , Hooker maintained his own course. Although he was a bluesman at heart, he was adept at several musical styles, which he incorporated into his playing as it suited him. Depending on his mood and audience reaction, a Hooker performance could include blues, boogie-woogie, R&B, soul, be-bop, pop, and even

2530-457: Was composed of instrumentals, including the slow blues "The End of the Blues" and some tunes incorporating recent popular music trends, such as the early funk -influenced "Two Bugs in a Rug" (an allusion to his tuberculosis, or TB). Hooker experienced a major tuberculosis attack in late summer 1967 and was hospitalized for nearly a year. When Hooker was released from the hospital in 1968, he assembled

2585-453: Was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame , which noted that "Earl Hooker was the 'blues guitarists' guitarist,' the most respected six-string wizard in Chicago blues musicians' circles during the 1950s and '60s." The following lists the albums Hooker released during his career and currently available compilations. Quitman County, Mississippi Quitman County is a county located in

2640-556: Was later released as Funk: Last of the Late Great Earl Hooker . Also in May, after being recommended by Ike Turner (with whom he first toured in 1952), Hooker went to Los Angeles to record the album Sweet Black Angel for Blue Thumb Records , with arrangements and piano accompaniment by Turner. The album included Hooker's interpretations of several blues standards, such as " Sweet Home Chicago " (with Hooker on vocal), " Drivin' Wheel ", " Cross Cut Saw ", " Catfish Blues ", and

2695-453: Was later spliced into "All in My Dreams". Gilmore recorded "Believe I'll Settle Down" for Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee in July 1953, accompanied by Pinetop Perkins on piano, Earl Hooker on guitar and Willie Nix on drums, but like some of his earlier recordings, it was not released at the time. After his brief recording career, Gilmore performed in juke joints in the Delta for

2750-513: Was not booked with Nighthawk, he performed with Sonny Boy Williamson II , sometimes on Williamson's popular radio program, King Biscuit Time , on station KFFA , in Helena. Hooker toured the South as a member of Nighthawk's band for the next couple of years. This was his introduction to life as an itinerant blues musician (although he had earlier run away from home and spent time in the Mississippi Delta ). In 1949, Hooker tried to establish himself in

2805-444: Was one of Parchman's largest African-American housing units. Camp B's buildings have been demolished. The Mississippi Code (§ 47-5-131) gives Quitman County the right to "not over twenty (20) offenders from the Parchman facility for five (5) workdays of each week for the purpose of working the roads of Quitman County", and goes on to state that the "board of supervisors of Quitman County shall lay out and designate roads to be worked by

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2860-468: Was released by Modern Records , with " Just an Army Boy " on the B-side . At the same session, Gilmore recorded several other songs, including "All in My Dreams" and "Take a Little Walk with Me", which were released by Modern as a single. James Scott Jr. accompanied him on guitar, but his part fell victim to early recording technology, as an introduction and guitar break from Elmore James 's "Please Find My Baby"

2915-436: Was successful, and Chess hired Hooker to record three more instrumentals for Waters to overdub. One of the songs, "You Need Love", again with lyrics by Dixon, was also a success and "sold better than Muddy's early sixties recordings". The rock band Led Zeppelin later achieved greater success with their adaptations of Hooker's and Waters's "You Shook Me" and "You Need Love". During his time with Chief, Hooker recorded singles as

2970-449: Was the best. It was nobody else like him, he was just one of a kind". Hooker was born in rural Quitman County, Mississippi , outside of Clarksdale . In 1930, his parents moved the family to Chicago, during the Great Migration of blacks out of the rural South in the early 20th century. His family was musically inclined ( John Lee Hooker was a cousin), and Earl heard music played at home at an early age. About age ten, he started playing

3025-756: Was the featured artist. He performed for nearly all of Wells's releases, including "Come On in This House", " Messin' with the Kid ", and " It Hurts Me Too ", which remained in Wells's repertoire for the rest of his career. Hooker regularly performed with Wells for the latter part of 1960 and most of 1961. Hooker released several instrumentals for the Chief labels, including the slow blues "Calling All Blues" (Chief 7020) in 1960, which featured his slide guitar playing, and "Blues in D Natural" (Chief 7016), also in 1960, in which he switched between fretted and slide guitar. A chance taping before

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