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Lightnin' Hopkins

September 11, 2023

For other people named Sam Hopkins, see Samuel Hopkins.
For the R.E.M. song, see Document (album).

Samuel John "Lightnin" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982)[1] was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.[2]

Lightnin' Hopkins
Background information
Birth nameSam John Hopkins
Born(1912-03-15)March 15, 1912
Centerville, Texas, U.S.
DiedJanuary 30, 1982(1982-01-30) (aged 69)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
GenresElectric blues, country blues, Texas blues
Occupation(s)Guitarist, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, piano, organ, vocals
Years active1946–1982
LabelsAladdin, Modern, RPM, Gold Star, Sittin' in With/Jax, Mercury, Decca, Herald, Folkways, World Pacific, Vee-Jay, Arhoolie, Bluesville, Tradition, Fire, Candid, Imperial, Prestige, Verve, Jewel

The musicologist Robert "Mack" McCormick opined that Hopkins is "the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act".[3] He influenced Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams, Jr., and a generation of blues musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose Grammy winning song "Rude Mood" was directly inspired by the Texan's song "Hopkins' Sky Hop."

Life Edit

Hopkins was born in Centerville, Texas.[4] As a child, he was immersed in the sounds of the blues. He developed a deep appreciation for the music at the age of 8, when he met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic in Buffalo, Texas.[5] He went on to learn from his distant older cousin, the country blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander;[5] Hopkins had another cousin, the Texas electric blues guitarist Frankie Lee Sims, with whom he later recorded.[6] Hopkins began accompanying Jefferson on guitar at informal church gatherings. Jefferson reputedly never let anyone play with him except Hopkins, and Hopkins learned much from Jefferson at these gatherings.

In the mid-1930s, Hopkins was sent to Houston County Prison Farm, but the offence for which he was imprisoned is unknown.[5] In the late 1930s, he moved to Houston with Alexander in an unsuccessful attempt to break into the music scene there. By the early 1940s, he was back in Centerville, working as a farm hand.

Hopkins took a second shot at Houston in 1946. While singing on Dowling Street in Houston's Third Ward, which would become his home base, he was discovered by Lola Anne Cullum of Aladdin Records, based in Los Angeles.[5] She convinced Hopkins to travel to Los Angeles, where he accompanied the pianist Wilson Smith. The duo recorded twelve tracks in their first sessions in 1946. An Aladdin executive decided the pair needed more dynamism in their names and dubbed Hopkins "Lightnin'" and Wilson "Thunder".[7]

 
Gold Star promotional photograph, 1948

Hopkins recorded more sides for Aladdin in 1947. He returned to Houston and began recording for Gold Star Records. In the late 1940s and 1950s he rarely performed outside Texas, only occasionally traveling to the Midwest and the East for recording sessions and concert appearances. It has been estimated that he recorded between eight hundred and a thousand songs in his career.[citation needed] He performed regularly at nightclubs in and around Houston, particularly on Dowling Street, where he had been discovered by Aladdin. He recorded the hit records "T-Model Blues" and "Tim Moore's Farm" at SugarHill Recording Studios in Houston. By the mid- to late 1950s, his prodigious output of high-quality recordings had gained him a following among African Americans and blues aficionados.[7]

In 1959, the blues researcher Robert "Mack" McCormick contacted Hopkins, hoping to bring him to the attention of a broader musical audience engaged in the folk revival.[5] McCormack presented Hopkins to integrated audiences first in Houston and then in California. He made his debut at Carnegie Hall on October 14, 1960, alongside Joan Baez and Pete Seeger, performing the spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep". In 1960, he signed with Tradition Records. The recordings which followed included his song "Mojo Hand" in 1960.

In 1968, Hopkins recorded the album Free Form Patterns, backed by the rhythm section of the psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators. Through the 1960s and into the 1970s, he released one or sometimes two albums a year and toured, playing at major folk music festivals and at folk clubs and on college campuses in the U.S. and internationally. He toured extensively in the United States[3] and played a six-city tour of Japan in 1978.

Hopkins was Houston's poet-in-residence for 35 years. He recorded more albums than any other blues musician.[3] A statue of Hopkins sits in Crockett, Texas.[8]

Hopkins died of esophageal cancer in Houston on January 30, 1982, at the age of 69. His obituary in the New York Times described him as "one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players."[9]

His Gibson J-160e "hollowbox" is on display at the Rock Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and his Guild Starfire at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, both on loan from the Joe Kessler collection.[10]

Musical style Edit

Hopkins's style was born from spending many hours playing informally without a backing band. His distinctive fingerstyle technique often included playing, in effect, bass, rhythm, lead, and percussion at the same time.[citation needed] 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 Hopkins's music follows the standard 12-bar blues template, but his phrasing was free and loose. Many of his songs were in the talking blues style, but he was a powerful and confident singer.[citation needed] Lyrically, his songs expressed the problems of life in the segregated South, bad luck in love and other subjects common in the blues idiom. He dealt with these subjects with humor and good nature. He often referred to himself as "Poor Lightnin'" in his songs when talking about himself or referring to himself as the protagonist of the song. This is also the name of one of his albums. Many of his songs are filled with double entendres, and he was known for his humorous introductions to songs.[citation needed]

Some of his songs were of warning and sour prediction, such as "Fast Life Woman":

You may see a fast life woman sittin' round a whiskey joint,
Yes, you know, she'll be sittin' there smilin',
'Cause she knows some man gonna buy her half a pint,
Take it easy, fast life woman, 'cause you ain't gon' live always...[3]

Discography Edit

Early compilations of previously issued material Edit

Original LP releases Edit

As sideman Edit

With Sonny Terry With George "Wild Child" Butler

Films Edit

  • The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins (1968), directed by Les Blank and Skip Gerson (Flower Films & Video)[7]
  • The Sun's Gonna Shine (1969), directed by Les Blank with Skip Gerson (Flower Films & Video)
  • Sounder (1972), directed by Martin Ritt (the soundtrack includes Taj Mahal singing a version of Hopkins "Needed Time")
  • As of 2010, a film documentary on Hopkins, Where Lightnin' Strikes, was in production with Fastcut Films of Houston.
  • His song "Once a Gambler" is on the soundtrack of the 2009 film Crazy Heart.

Books Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

Inline citations
  1. ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 294. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  2. ^ "Lightnin' Hopkins | Rolling Stone Music | Lists". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
  3. ^ a b c d Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 64. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  4. ^ Nicholas, A. X. (1973). Woke Up This Mornin': Poetry of the Blues. Bantam Books. p. 87.
  5. ^ a b c d e Allmusic biography
  6. ^ Dahl, Bill. "Frankie Lee Sims: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  7. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 181/3. ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
  8. ^ Russell, pp. 145–146.
  9. ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (February 1, 1982). "Obituary: Sam (Lightnin') Hopkins, 69; Blues Singer and Guitarist". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  10. ^ "The Team". Where Lightnin' Strikes. 2011-02-28. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
Further reading
  • Stambler, Irwin; Landon, Grellun (1983). The Encyclopedia of Folk, Country & Western Music (2nd ed.). St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-24818-0.
  • Liner notes to the CD Country Blues, Ryko/Tradition Records.

External links Edit

  • Houston Chronicle article about dedication of Lightnin' Hopkins statue
  • Campstreetcafe.com. Accessed December 25, 2007.
  • Lightnin' Hopkins at IMDb
  • Lightnin' Hopkins discography at Discogs
  • Where Lightnin Strikes (documentary film)
  • New York Times obituary

September 11, 2023
lightnin, hopkins, other, people, named, hopkins, samuel, hopkins, song, document, album, samuel, john, lightnin, hopkins, march, 1912, january, 1982, american, country, blues, singer, songwriter, guitarist, occasional, pianist, from, centerville, texas, 2010,. For other people named Sam Hopkins see Samuel Hopkins For the R E M song see Document album Samuel John Lightnin Hopkins March 15 1912 January 30 1982 1 was an American country blues singer songwriter guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville Texas In 2010 Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time 2 Lightnin HopkinsBackground informationBirth nameSam John HopkinsBorn 1912 03 15 March 15 1912Centerville Texas U S DiedJanuary 30 1982 1982 01 30 aged 69 Houston Texas U S GenresElectric blues country blues Texas bluesOccupation s Guitarist singer songwriterInstrument s Guitar piano organ vocalsYears active1946 1982LabelsAladdin Modern RPM Gold Star Sittin in With Jax Mercury Decca Herald Folkways World Pacific Vee Jay Arhoolie Bluesville Tradition Fire Candid Imperial Prestige Verve Jewel The musicologist Robert Mack McCormick opined that Hopkins is the embodiment of the jazz and poetry spirit representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act 3 He influenced Townes Van Zandt Hank Williams Jr and a generation of blues musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughan whose Grammy winning song Rude Mood was directly inspired by the Texan s song Hopkins Sky Hop Contents 1 Life 2 Musical style 3 Discography 3 1 Early compilations of previously issued material 3 2 Original LP releases 4 As sideman 5 Films 6 Books 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksLife EditHopkins was born in Centerville Texas 4 As a child he was immersed in the sounds of the blues He developed a deep appreciation for the music at the age of 8 when he met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic in Buffalo Texas 5 He went on to learn from his distant older cousin the country blues singer Alger Texas Alexander 5 Hopkins had another cousin the Texas electric blues guitarist Frankie Lee Sims with whom he later recorded 6 Hopkins began accompanying Jefferson on guitar at informal church gatherings Jefferson reputedly never let anyone play with him except Hopkins and Hopkins learned much from Jefferson at these gatherings In the mid 1930s Hopkins was sent to Houston County Prison Farm but the offence for which he was imprisoned is unknown 5 In the late 1930s he moved to Houston with Alexander in an unsuccessful attempt to break into the music scene there By the early 1940s he was back in Centerville working as a farm hand Hopkins took a second shot at Houston in 1946 While singing on Dowling Street in Houston s Third Ward which would become his home base he was discovered by Lola Anne Cullum of Aladdin Records based in Los Angeles 5 She convinced Hopkins to travel to Los Angeles where he accompanied the pianist Wilson Smith The duo recorded twelve tracks in their first sessions in 1946 An Aladdin executive decided the pair needed more dynamism in their names and dubbed Hopkins Lightnin and Wilson Thunder 7 nbsp Gold Star promotional photograph 1948Hopkins recorded more sides for Aladdin in 1947 He returned to Houston and began recording for Gold Star Records In the late 1940s and 1950s he rarely performed outside Texas only occasionally traveling to the Midwest and the East for recording sessions and concert appearances It has been estimated that he recorded between eight hundred and a thousand songs in his career citation needed He performed regularly at nightclubs in and around Houston particularly on Dowling Street where he had been discovered by Aladdin He recorded the hit records T Model Blues and Tim Moore s Farm at SugarHill Recording Studios in Houston By the mid to late 1950s his prodigious output of high quality recordings had gained him a following among African Americans and blues aficionados 7 In 1959 the blues researcher Robert Mack McCormick contacted Hopkins hoping to bring him to the attention of a broader musical audience engaged in the folk revival 5 McCormack presented Hopkins to integrated audiences first in Houston and then in California He made his debut at Carnegie Hall on October 14 1960 alongside Joan Baez and Pete Seeger performing the spiritual Mary Don t You Weep In 1960 he signed with Tradition Records The recordings which followed included his song Mojo Hand in 1960 In 1968 Hopkins recorded the album Free Form Patterns backed by the rhythm section of the psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators Through the 1960s and into the 1970s he released one or sometimes two albums a year and toured playing at major folk music festivals and at folk clubs and on college campuses in the U S and internationally He toured extensively in the United States 3 and played a six city tour of Japan in 1978 Hopkins was Houston s poet in residence for 35 years He recorded more albums than any other blues musician 3 A statue of Hopkins sits in Crockett Texas 8 Hopkins died of esophageal cancer in Houston on January 30 1982 at the age of 69 His obituary in the New York Times described him as one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players 9 His Gibson J 160e hollowbox is on display at the Rock Hall of Fame in Cleveland and his Guild Starfire at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC both on loan from the Joe Kessler collection 10 Musical style EditHopkins s style was born from spending many hours playing informally without a backing band His distinctive fingerstyle technique often included playing in effect bass rhythm lead and percussion at the same time citation needed 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 Hopkins s music follows the standard 12 bar blues template but his phrasing was free and loose Many of his songs were in the talking blues style but he was a powerful and confident singer citation needed Lyrically his songs expressed the problems of life in the segregated South bad luck in love and other subjects common in the blues idiom He dealt with these subjects with humor and good nature He often referred to himself as Poor Lightnin in his songs when talking about himself or referring to himself as the protagonist of the song This is also the name of one of his albums Many of his songs are filled with double entendres and he was known for his humorous introductions to songs citation needed Some of his songs were of warning and sour prediction such as Fast Life Woman You may see a fast life woman sittin round a whiskey joint Yes you know she ll be sittin there smilin Cause she knows some man gonna buy her half a pint Take it easy fast life woman cause you ain t gon live always 3 Discography EditEarly compilations of previously issued material Edit Early Recordings Arhoolie 1946 50 1969 collection of Gold Star recordings Early Recordings Vol 2 Arhoolie 1946 50 1971 collection of Gold Star releases Lightnin Hopkins Strums the Blues Score 1946 48 1958 collection of Aladdin releases Lightning Hopkins Sings the Blues Crown 1947 1951 1961 collection of RPM releases Last of the Great Blues Singers Time 1950 51 1960 collection of Sittin in With releases Lightnin and the Blues Herald 1954 1960 collection of Herald releases Blues Masters The Very Best Of Lightnin Hopkins Rhino 2000 later collection Original LP releases Edit The Rooster Crowed in England 77 1959 1960 Lightnin Hopkins Folkways 1959 reissued as The Roots of Lightnin Hopkins Country Blues Tradition 1959 Autobiography in Blues Tradition 1960 Down South Summit Meetin World Pacific 1960 with Brownie McGhee Big Joe Williams and Sonny Terry reissued as Summit Meetin Last Night Blues Bluesville 1960 with Sonny Terry Lightnin Bluesville 1960 Lightnin in New York Candid 1960 Mojo Hand Fire 1960 1962 Blues in My Bottle Bluesville 1961 Blues Hoot Horizon 1961 1963 with Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry reissued as Coffee House Blues On Stage Imperial Records 1962 reissued Dolchess 2013 Lightnin Sam Hopkins Arhoolie 1962 Walkin This Road by Myself Bluesville 1962 Lightnin and Co Bluesville 1962 Smokes Like Lightning Bluesville 1962 1963 Lightnin Strikes Vee Jay 1962 Hootin the Blues Prestige Folklore 1962 1965 Goin Away Bluesville 1963 The Swarthmore Concert Prestige 1964 1993 Down Home Blues Bluesville 1964 Soul Blues Prestige 1964 1965 Lightning Hopkins with His Brothers Joel and John Henry with Barbara Dane Arhoolie 1964 1966 My Life in the Blues Prestige 1964 1965 Live at the Bird Lounge Guest Star 1964 The King of the Blues Pickwick 1965 reissued as Let s Work Awhile Blue Lightnin Jewel 1965 1967 Live at Newport Vanguard 1965 2002 Lightnin Strikes Verve Folkways 1965 1966 reissued as Nothin But the Blues Something Blue Verve Folkways 1967 Thats My Story Polydor 1965 1970 Blues Festival Song amp Dance Arhoolie 1967 shared disc with Mance Lipscomb and Clifton Chenier Texas Blues Man Arhoolie 1967 Free Form Patterns International Artists 1968 Talkin Some Sense Jewel 1968 Lightnin Hopkins Strikes Again Home Cooking 1968 1975 The Great Electric Show and Dance Jewel 1969 California Mudslide and Earthquake Vault Records 1969 Lightnin Poppy 1969 rereleased on Arhoolie in 1993 In the Key of Lightnin Tomato 1969 2002 Lightning Hopkins in Berkeley Arhoolie 1969 1970 Po Lightnin Arhoolie 1961 69 1983 The Legacy of the Blues Vol 12 Sonet 1974 1977 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 1976 Island 1977 shared disc with various artists The Rising Sun Collection Vol 9 Just a Memory 1977 1996 Mighty Crazy Catfish 1980 2002 shared disc with Big Mama Thornton The Rising Sun Collection Just a Memory 1980 1996 shared disc with Louisiana Red Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee Forever Paris Album 1981 1983 As sideman EditWith Sonny Terry With George Wild Child Butler Sonny Is King Bluesville 1963 Films EditThe Blues Accordin to Lightnin Hopkins 1968 directed by Les Blank and Skip Gerson Flower Films amp Video 7 The Sun s Gonna Shine 1969 directed by Les Blank with Skip Gerson Flower Films amp Video Sounder 1972 directed by Martin Ritt the soundtrack includes Taj Mahal singing a version of Hopkins Needed Time As of 2010 update a film documentary on Hopkins Where Lightnin Strikes was in production with Fastcut Films of Houston His song Once a Gambler is on the soundtrack of the 2009 film Crazy Heart Books EditMojo Hand An Orphic Tale by J J Phillips Serpent s Tail Lightnin Hopkins Blues Guitar Legend by Dan Bowden Deep Down Hard Blues Tribute to Lightnin by Sarah Ann West Lightnin Hopkins His Life and Blues by Alan Govenar Chicago Review Press Mojo Hand The Life and Music of Lightnin Hopkins by Timothy J O Brien and David Ensminger University of Texas Press See also EditList of blues musicians Texas blues Six Strings DownReferences EditInline citations Eagle Bob LeBlanc Eric S 2013 Blues A Regional Experience Santa Barbara California Praeger p 294 ISBN 978 0313344237 Lightnin Hopkins Rolling Stone Music Lists Rolling Stone Retrieved 2010 08 09 a b c d Russell Tony 1997 The Blues From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray Dubai Carlton Books p 64 ISBN 1 85868 255 X Nicholas A X 1973 Woke Up This Mornin Poetry of the Blues Bantam Books p 87 a b c d e Allmusic biography Dahl Bill Frankie Lee Sims Biography AllMusic com Retrieved 2010 10 19 a b c Colin Larkin ed 1995 The Guinness Who s Who of Blues Second ed Guinness Publishing pp 181 3 ISBN 0 85112 673 1 Russell pp 145 146 Saxon Wolfgang February 1 1982 Obituary Sam Lightnin Hopkins 69 Blues Singer and Guitarist The New York Times Retrieved November 11 2012 The Team Where Lightnin Strikes 2011 02 28 Retrieved 2023 08 24 Further readingStambler Irwin Landon Grellun 1983 The Encyclopedia of Folk Country amp Western Music 2nd ed St Martin s Press ISBN 0 312 24818 0 Liner notes to the CD Country Blues Ryko Tradition Records External links EditBlues Foundation Hall of Fame Induction 1980 Houston Chronicle article about dedication of Lightnin Hopkins statue Hopkins feature on Big Road Blues Campstreetcafe com Accessed December 25 2007 Lightnin Hopkins at IMDb Lightnin Hopkins discography at Discogs Where Lightnin Strikes documentary film New York Times obituary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lightnin 27 Hopkins amp oldid 1172027680, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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