From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sam "Lightnin'"Hopkins
Birth name	Sam Hopkins
Born	March 15, 1912 Centerville, Texas
Died	January 30, 1982 Houston, Texas
Genre(s)	Country blues
Occupation(s)	Guitarist/singer/songwriter
Instrument(s)	Guitar
Years active	1946-1970's
Label(s)	Aladdin Records (US) Imperial Records Bluesville Records Prestige records Verve Records and many others.

Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was a country blues guitarist, from Houston, Texas. Hopkins’ fast finger style was very distinctive.

Contents 1 Life 2 Style 3 Influence 4 Selected Discography 5 Film 6 Books 7 External links 8 References

Born in Centerville, Texas, Hopkins learned the blues when young in Buffalo, Texas from Blind Lemon Jefferson and his older cousin, country-blues singer Alger “Texas” Alexander. In the mid-1930s, Hopkins was sent to Houston County Prison Farm for an unknown offense. In the late 1930's Hopkins moved to Houston with Alexander in an unsuccesful attempt to break into the music scene there. By the early 1940's he was back in Centerville working as a farm hand.

Hopkins took at second shot at Houston in 1946. While singing on Dowling St. (which would become his home base) he was discovered by Lola Anne Cullum from the Los Angeles-based record label Aladdin Records. She convinced Hopkins to travel to LA where he accompanied pianist Wilson Smith. The duo recorded twelve tracks in their first sessions in 1946. An Aladdin Records executive decided the pair needed more "oomph" in their names and dubbed Hopkins "Lightnin'" and Wilson "Thunder".

Hopkins recorded more sides for Aladdin in 1947 but soon grew homesick. He returned to Houston and began recording for the Gold Star label. during the late 40's and 1950's Hopkins rarely performed outside Texas. However, he recorded prolifically. Occasionaly traveling to the Mid-West and Eastern US for recording sessions and concert appearances. It has been estimated that he recorded between 800 and 1000 songs during his career. He performed regular at clubs in and around Houston, particularly in Dowling St. where he had first been discovered. By the mid to late 1950's his prodigeous output of very fine quality recordings had gained him a following among African Americans and blues music aficionados.

In 1959 Hopkins was contacted by folklorist Mack McCormick who hoped to bring Lightnin' to the attention of the broader musical audience which was caught up in the Folk revival. McCormack presented Hopkins to integrated audiences first in Houston and then in California. Hopkins debuted at Carnegie Hall Oct. 14 1960 apearing alongside Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger. In 1960, he signed to Tradition Records. Solid recordings followed including his masterpiece song Mojo Hand in 1960.

By the early 1960's Lightnin' Hopkins reputation as one of the most compelling blues/R&B performers was cemented. He had finaly earned the success and recognition which was so long overdue. In 1968, Hopkins recorded the album Free Form Patterns backed by the rhythm section of psychedelic rock band the 13th Floor Elevators. Through the 1960's and into the 1970's Hopkins released one or sometimes 2 albums a year and toured extensively. Playing at major folk festivals and at folk clubs and on college campuses in US and internationaly. Later in the 1970's he left Texas less often.

Lightnin's style was born from spending many hours playing informally without a backing band. His distinctive Fingerstyle playing often included playing, in effect, bass, rhythm, lead, percussion, and vocals, all at the same time. He played both "alternating" and "monotonic" bass styles incorporating imaginative, often chromatic turnarounds and single note lead lines. Tapping or slapping the body of his guitar added rhythmic accompaniment.

Much of Lightnin's music follows the standard 12-bar blues template but his phrasing was very free and loose. Many of his songs were in the Talking Blues style but he was a powerfull and confident singer. Lyricaly his songs chronicled the problems of life in the segregated south, bad luck in love and all the usual subjects of The Blues. He did however deal with these subjects with humor and good nature. Many of his songs are filled with hillarious double entendres and he was known for his humourous introductions.

Hopkins was a great influence on many local musicians around Houston and Austin, Texas in the 1950s and 1960s. His recordings from the early 1960's reveal a lead guitar style that anticipates the popular blues based rock guitar of the later 1960's. Jimi Hendrix reportedly became interested in blues music listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins records with his father. He was an influence on Jimmie Vaughan’s work and on the vocals and blues style of Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, the keyboardist of the Grateful Dead until 1972. He was also an important influence on Townes Van Zandt, the Texan folk/blues songwriter and performer, who often performed Hopkins numbers in his live performances. Doyle Bramhall II is another Texas artist who was influenced by Hopkins, as evidenced by a tattoo of Lightning on his upper left arm.

A song named after him was recorded by R.E.M. on their album Document.

The Houston Chronicle included Hopkins in their list of “100 Tall Texans,” 100 important Texans who influenced the world. The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum included Hopkins in a 100 Tall Texans exhibit that opened in September 2006. The display includes Lightnin’s Guild Starfire electric guitar and performance video.

Hopkins’ Gibson J-160e guitar is on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

• 1959 - Lightnin' Hopkins Strums the Blues (Score)
• 1959 - Lightnin' Hopkins
• 1959 - Lightnin' and the Blues (Herald)
• 1960 - Country Blues (Tradition)
• 1960 - Last Night Blues (Bluesville)
• 1960 - Mojo Hand (Fire)
• 1960 - Lightnin' (Bluesville)
• 1961 - Autobiography in Blues (Tradition)
• 1962 - Walkin' This Road By Myself (Bluesville)
• 1962 - Lightnin' and Co. (Bluesville)
• 1962 - Lightnin' Strikes (Vee Jay)
• 1963 - Blues in My Bottle (Bluesville)
• 1963 - Smokes Like Lightnin' (Bluesville)
• 1963 - Goin' Away (Bluesville)
• 1964 - Down Home Blues (Bluesville)
• 1965 - Hootin' the Blues (Bluesville)
• 1965 - Lightnin' Strikes (Tradition)
• 1965 - The Roots of Lightnin' Hopkins
• 1966 - Soul Blues (Bluesville)
• 1967 - My Life in the Blues (Bluesville)
• 1967 - Original Folk Blues (Kent)
• 1967 - Lightnin'! (Arhoolie)
• 1968 - Freeform Patterns (International Artists)
• 1991 - Swarthmore Concert Live, 1964
• 1995 - Po' Lightning
• 1999 - The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins

The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins (1969). Directed by Les Blank and Skip Gerson (Flower Films & Video).

As of 2007, a documentary on Hopkins is in production with Fastcut Films of Houston, entitled “Where Lightnin’ Strikes.”

• Lightnin’ Hopkins Blues Guitar Legend by Dan Bowden
• Deep Down Hard Blues: Tribute to Lightnin by Sarah Ann West

• Blues Foundation Hall of Fame Induction, 1980
• Houston Chronicle story about dedication of Lightnin' Hopkins statue
• Hopkins feature on Big Road Blues

• "The Encyclopedia Of Folk, Country & Western Music" by Irwin Stambler and Grellun Landon, second editon. St. Martin's Press 1983. ISBN 0-312-24818-0
• Liner notes to CD "Country Blues" Ryko/Tradition Records cat. # D 19384
• http://www.campstreetcafe.com/HoustonChronicle.htm (accessed Dec. 25, 2007)
• http://www.activeguitar.com/lessons/guitar/507-1.asp (accessed Dec. 25, 2007)