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John Lee Hooker Jr.
For many, growing up in someone else's shadow is daunting, particularly when that someone is a looming legendary figure known world-wide. Eclipsed by that someone, you may constantly hear comparisons drawn as you try to establish yourself and your career.
This is not the case for John Lee Hooker, Jr. Born the son of Blues great John Lee Hooker, he acknowledges the significant contribution his father made to music, and knows he was never overshadowed by his father. Rather he was born to and carries on a legacy that's both broad and wide.
Born in the Motor City, John Lee Hooker Jr has Delta blues blood running through his Motor City veins. Born to this legendary bluesman, he grew up knowing that he was destined with this heritage. This he demonstrated as early as eight years of age, when Jr. performed on Detroit's WJBK radio, and by the time he was sixteen had played on the stage of such prestigious venues as Detroit's Fox Theater alongside other legendary blues greats such as Jimmy Reed. By the time he was eighteen, he would join his father to play on Hooker's Senior's album Live at Soledad Prison (ABC Records).
Unfortunately, while living the "life of a bluesman" he succumbed to the demons that surround it, derailing his musical career for many, many years. Drugs, alcohol, divorce, incarceration, and death nearly brought his once promising career to a screeching halt, but it was living the blues and his faith in the Almighty that resurrected Jr. Hooker.
In 2004, he released what he refers to as his "celebratory redemption." Aptly named, Blues with a Vengeance (Kent Records), was like a wild bull in captivity; it came out with a vengeance. It earned him a Grammy nomination in the Traditional Blues Album category and a nomination for a distinguished W.C. Handy Award as Best New Artist Debut. The California Music Awards (formerly the BAMMYS) named Blues with a Vengeance 2004's Outstanding Blues Album of the Year, and the Bay Area Blues Society presented him with the 2004 Comeback Artist of the Year award.
His second release Cold As Ice (Telarc Records), released June of 2006 showed his progression as a contemporary blues artist.
On his recently released All Odds Against Me, he continues to carry blues into the 21st century. The 12-song album, released domestically on Jr. Hooker's own Steppin' Stone Records and in Europe on Jazzhaus Records, is his first effort to include only new and original tracks, a contrast to either of his previous solo projects.
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John Lee Hooker, Jr. in Essen, Germany
by Phillip Woolever
John Lee Hooker, Jr. Zeche Carl Essen, Germany March 29, 2009
John Lee Hooker, Jr. brought his slick, blues-based revue to a small corner of the Rhineland and proved that a true artist knows no boundaries. The son also rises,indeed.
The location had to be among the most out-of-the-way venues ever played by a recent Grammy nominee, but the place did have a lot of cement soul, and this part of Essen doesn't ...
read moreJohn Lee Hooker Jr.: All Odds Against Me
by David King
For many, growing up in someone else's shadow is daunting, particularly when that someone is a looming, legendary figure known worldwide. Eclipsed by that someone, a musician may constantly hear comparisons drawn as they try to establish themselves and their career.
This is not the case for John Lee Hooker Jr. Born the son of blues great John Lee Hooker, he acknowledges the significant contribution his father made to music, and knows he was never overshadowed by his father. Rather, ...
read moreBlues Legend John Lee Hooker Jr. Plays at the Iron Horse in Northampton on August 24
Source:
MassJazz: Jazz in Massachusetts
John Lee Hooker Jr, Detroit's legendary bluesman, is performing at the Iron Horse in Northampton on Tuesday, August 24 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 in advance and can be purchased online, or $15 at the door. As a child in the 1970s, Hooker learned the blues from Delta blues masters, including his father John Lee Hooker and blues harp legend Jimmy Reed. His 2004 album, Blues with A Vengence received a Grammy nominiation and marked his transition as a ...
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John Lee Hooker Jr Interview
Source:
All About Jazz
This interview is part of the book project “under your skin" which includes Interviews with: Anthony Braxton, Ornette Coleman, Chuck D - Public Enemy, Taj Mahal, Yusef Lateef, Melvin Gibbs, Bob James, Skip Mcdonald, Erika Stucky, Living Colour, Rhonda Smith, Dj Rob Swift, Marilyn Crispell, Dick Griffin, Billy Bang, Kahil El Zabar, Michael Ricci - All About Jazz, Val-Inc, Chico Freeman, Esperanza Spalding, Eddie Henderson, J. Mascis - Dinosaur ...
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John Lee Hooker Jr. Interviewed at AAJ
Source:
All About Jazz
For many, growing up in someone else's shadow is daunting, particularly when that someone is a looming, legendary figure known worldwide. Eclipsed by that someone, a musician may constantly hear comparisons drawn as they try to establish themselves and their career. This is not the case for John Lee Hooker Jr. Born the son of blues great John Lee Hooker, he acknowledges the significant contribution his father made to music, and knows he was never overshadowed by his father. Rather, ...
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"It's extremely difficult to do what J.L.H. Jr. has done here: confront both the blessing and the burden of being heir to one of the music's most daunting legacies, while still retaining one's own identity." Living Blues Magazine
"John Lee Hooker Jr., the son of a 20th Century blues legend, stands at the crossroads of a new era for blues with a confidence and mastery that will only intensify an already superlative family tradition. Boogie on!" Tom Mazzolini - San Francisco Blues Festival
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