Blues guitarist Earl Hooker hailed from a rural community in Quitman County, Mississipi that was just outside of Clarksdale. He moved to Chicago at the age of one and this was to be a very important move that would eventually expose the youngster to the world of Chicago Blues. A cousin of John Lee Hooker, Earl was incredibly musically talented from a young age. He started playing guitar at age 10. Earl very rarely sang and this is believed to be because of what was later diagnosed as a speech impediment. Hooker also suffered from tuberculosis at a young age. Hooker began performing on street corners around 1946 with his good friend and fellow blues guitarist Bo Diddley, from then on he maintained a career in blues music and has been a blues guitarist throughout his life.
Top 5 songs:
Strung Out Woman Blues
Little Carey’s Jump
Take Me Back to East St. Louis
Improvisations on Dust My Broom
Improvisations on Frosty
Can’t Hold Out Much Longer
Top 3 Albums:
Don’t Have to Worry
Sweet Black Angel
Two Bugs and A Roach
Discography:
Year Title Label Comments
1968 The Genius of Earl Hooker Cuca recorded Sauk City, WI 1964–1967
1969 Two Bugs & A Roach Arhoolie recorded Chicago 1968
1969 Don’t Have to Worry Bluesway recorded Los Angeles 1969
1969 Sweet Black Angel Blue Thumb recorded Los Angeles 1969
1970 Hooker and Steve Arhoolie recorded Berkeley 1969
1972 Funk. The Last of the Great Earl Hooker Blues on Blues recorded Chicago 1969
1972 His First and Last Recordings Arhoolie Sun, Arhoolie recordings 1953, 1968–1969
1993 Play Your Guitar, Mr. Hooker! Black Top Cuca recordings 1964–1967
1999 Simply the Best: Earl Hooker Collection MCA Chess, Blue Thumb, Bluesway recordings 1956–1969
2003 Blue Guitar: The Chief and Age Sessions 1959–1963 P-Vine Chief/Profile/Age recordings 1959–1963
2006 An Introduction to Earl Hooker Fuel Chief/Age recordings 1959–1962
