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Lightnin' Hopkins
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Sam Hopkins was born as a Pisces on March 15, 1912 in Centerville, Texas. In 1920, at the age of eight, Hopkins met and played with the legendary Blind Lemon Jefferson, even becoming Jefferson’s guide for a short time. Hopkins’ cousin, the great Texas bluesman Texas Alexander, was another influence. Their musical partnership was broken up by Hopkins’ time in Houston’s County Prison Farm during the 1930s.
When Hopkins made his way to Houston’s Third Ward in 1946 he was introduced to Lola Anne Cullum, a talent scout who had pieced together deals with companies such as Alladin Records out of Los Angeles. She paired up Hopkins with a piano player by the name of Wilson “Thunder” Smith and came up with the name “Lightnin’” as an obvious match. It stuck.
Hopkins had no little success with a release named “Katie May,” cut on November 9, 1946. After that came a series of releases on the Alladin label - “Shotgun Blues,” “Short Haired Woman,” “Abilene” and “Big Mama Jump.” The blues floodgate had opened. What followed was more than thirty years of albums on everything from small, obscure labels to big ones. The list includes Modern/RPM, Gold Star, Mercury, Jax, Decca, Astan, and Herald. During this period he cut some of the most ferocious blues guitar mixed with what he called “air songs,” meaning those where he’d just pull the lyrics right out of the air on the spot.
When Hopkins made his way to Houston’s Third Ward in 1946 he was introduced to Lola Anne Cullum, a talent scout who had pieced together deals with companies such as Alladin Records out of Los Angeles. She paired up Hopkins with a piano player by the name of Wilson “Thunder” Smith and came up with the name “Lightnin’” as an obvious match. It stuck.
Hopkins had no little success with a release named “Katie May,” cut on November 9, 1946. After that came a series of releases on the Alladin label - “Shotgun Blues,” “Short Haired Woman,” “Abilene” and “Big Mama Jump.” The blues floodgate had opened. What followed was more than thirty years of albums on everything from small, obscure labels to big ones. The list includes Modern/RPM, Gold Star, Mercury, Jax, Decca, Astan, and Herald. During this period he cut some of the most ferocious blues guitar mixed with what he called “air songs,” meaning those where he’d just pull the lyrics right out of the air on the spot.
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Mojo Hand
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All the Classics 1946-1951
Lightnin' Hopkins
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The Gold Star Sessions, Volume 1
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Forever Gold
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Top Tracks
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Mojo hand
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Happy New Year
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Jail House Blues
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Bring Me My Shotgun
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Sometimes She Will
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Coffee house blues
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Lightnin's Boogie
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Have You Ever Loved a Woman
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Come Back Baby
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Got To Move Your Baby
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Praying Ground Blues
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Shoutbox
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CursedEvil wrote:
The Walkin' Blues...love it!
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tastelesslemon wrote:
ahhh suuunday afternoon, lighnin' hopkins and i
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matthewgregory wrote:
Shinin' Blues...
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matthewgregory wrote:
Smooth, baby, smooth...
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Punk7680 wrote:
This is awesome.
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leishman88 wrote:
i love his crazy stories at the start of songs. makes them so much better!
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JoseMariaAznar wrote:
THE Bluesman, period
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pablobunnyman wrote:
blues is the truth:)
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Rancido wrote:
Overrated my arse.RESPECT MR.LIGHTNIN'
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bcwilliamson wrote:
letter to my backdoor friend is an underrated classic. the way he played guitar was so simple, yet so sophisticated. will always be remembered. some of you people might like to check out my music of a similar era... http://www.last.fm/music/B.C.+Williamson god bless
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PopeDaniel wrote:
A one man symphony, with a voice that suffices for a chorus.
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globtrotter wrote:
I dont know why he gets so much criticism at times. Yeah he's overrated but that doesn't mean he's a bad artist.
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BarnFairy wrote:
Centerville, Texas has a WHOLE new meaning to me now. : )
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sebastiano_riva wrote:
One Man One Grooove!!!!!!
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Hobobluez wrote:
Absolutely brilliant stuff!
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Brunosacro wrote:
Blues is azul como mi alma....
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primalscreamer wrote:
thats amazing steamdiamond. I go to cotati almost daily, I wish I was around back then.
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Steamdiamond wrote:
I heard Lightnin at a small club named The Inn Of The Beginning in Cotati, California in 1969. He was great and the young hippie chicks danced and loved him. I suspect he stayed warm that night.
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bettygroove wrote:
EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES
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Rancido wrote:
Ain't got nuthin but the blues..
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Recent Activity
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