Lightnin' Hopkins
Wikimp3 information about the music of Lightnin' Hopkins. On our website we have 70 albums and 70 collections of artist Lightnin' Hopkins. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Lightnin' Hopkins represents Blues genres.
Biography
[Edit]Sam Hopkins was a Texas country bluesman of the highest caliber whose career began in the 1920s and stretched all the way into the 1980s. Along the way, Hopkins watched the genre change remarkably, but he never appreciably altered his mournful Lone Star sound, which translated onto both acoustic and electric guitar. Hopkins' nimble dexterity made intricate boogie riffs seem easy, and his fascinating penchant for improvising lyrics to fit whatever situation might arise made him a beloved blues troubadour.
Hopkins' brothers John Henry and Joel were also talented bluesmen, but it was Sam who became a star. In 1920, he met the legendary Blind Lemon Jefferson at a social function, and even got a chance to play with him. Later, Hopkins served as Jefferson's guide. In his teens, Hopkins began working with another pre-war great, singer Texas Alexander, who was his cousin. A mid-'30s stretch in Houston's County Prison Farm for the young guitarist interrupted their partnership for a time, but when he was freed, Hopkins hooked back up with the older bluesman.
The pair was dishing out their lowdown brand of blues in Houston's Third Ward in 1946 when talent scout Lola Anne Cullum came across them. She had already engineered a pact with Los Angeles-based Aladdin Records for another of her charges, pianist Amos Milburn, and Cullum saw the same sort of opportunity within Hopkins' dusty country blues. Alexander wasn't part of the deal; instead, Cullum paired Hopkins with pianist Wilson "Thunder" Smith, sensibly re-christened the guitarist "Lightnin'," and presto! Hopkins was very soon an Aladdin recording artist.
"Katie May," cut on November 9, 1946, in L.A. with Smith lending a hand on the 88s, was Lightnin' Hopkins' first regional seller of note. He recorded prolifically for Aladdin in both L.A. and Houston into 1948, scoring a national R&B hit for the firm with his "Shotgun Blues." "Short Haired Woman," "Abilene," and "Big Mama Jump," among many Aladdin gems, were evocative Texas blues rooted in an earlier era.
A load of other labels recorded the wily Hopkins after that, both in a solo context and with a small rhythm section: Modern/RPM (his uncompromising "Tim Moore's Farm" was an R&B hit in 1949); Gold Star (where he hit with "T-Model Blues" that same year); Sittin' in With ("Give Me Central 209" and "Coffee Blues" were national chart entries in 1952) and its Jax subsidiary; the major labels Mercury and Decca; and, in 1954, a remarkable batch of sides for Herald where Hopkins played blistering electric guitar on a series of blasting rockers ("Lightnin's Boogie," "Lightnin's Special," and the amazing "Hopkins' Sky Hop") in front of drummer Ben Turner and bassist Donald Cooks (who must have had bleeding fingers, so torrid were some of the tempos).
But Hopkins' style was apparently too rustic and old-fashioned for the new generation of rock & roll enthusiasts (they should have checked out "Hopkins' Sky Hop"). He was back on the Houston scene by 1959, largely forgotten. Fortunately, folklorist Mack McCormick rediscovered the guitarist, who was dusted off and presented as a folk-blues artist; a role that Hopkins was born to play. Pioneering musicologist Sam Charters produced Hopkins in a solo context for Folkways Records that same year, cutting an entire LP, Lightnin' Hopkins, in Hopkins' tiny apartment (on a borrowed guitar). The results helped introduced his music to an entirely new audience.
Lightnin' Hopkins went from gigging at back-alley gin joints to starring at collegiate coffeehouses, appearing on TV programs, and touring Europe to boot. His once-flagging recording career went right through the roof, with albums for World Pacific; Vee-Jay; Bluesville; Bobby Robinson's Fire label (where he cut his classic "Mojo Hand" in 1960); Candid; Arhoolie; Prestige; Verve; and, in 1965, the first of several LPs for Stan Lewis' Shreveport-based Jewel logo.
Hopkins generally demanded full payment before he'd deign to sit down and record, and seldom indulged a producer's desire for more than one take of any song. His singular sense of country time befuddled more than a few unseasoned musicians; from the 1960s on, his solo work is usually preferable to band-backed material.
Filmmaker Les Blank captured the Texas troubadour's informal lifestyle most vividly in his acclaimed 1967 documentary, The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins. As one of the last great country bluesmen, Hopkins was a fascinating figure who bridged the gap between rural and urban styles.
Title: Lightnin's Boogie: Live at the Rising Sun Celebrity Jazz Club (Remastered)
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Blues
Title: Lightnin' Hopkins & The Blues Summit
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Title: Classic Blues, Jazz and Vaudeville Singers Vol. 4 (1921-1928)
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Blues
Title: Charly Blues Masterworks, Volume 33: Coffee House Blues
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Blues
Title: The Legend Collection: Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Title: The Ultimate Jazz Archive (Set 15: Blues, Disc 2: Lightnin' Hopkins)
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Jazz
Title: Fugitive Blues - From The Archives (Digitally Remastered)
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Blues
Title: Tradition Master Series: Lightnin' Hopkins
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Title: From The Vaults Of Everest Records - CD 4 Nothin But The Blues
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Blues
Title: Complete Aladdin Recordings*Complete Aladdin Recordings*
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Blues
Title: Thinkin' And Worryin': The Aladdin Singles 1947-1952
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Acoustic
Title: From The Vaults Of Everest Records - CD 1 Drinkin In The Blues
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Blues
Title: Rediscovered Blues (CD2)
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins, Big Joe Williams, Sonny Terry
Genre: Blues
Title: From the Vaults Lightnin' Hopkins Rarities
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Title: Lightnin Hopkins Greatest Hits
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Title: An Introduction to Lightnin' Hopkins
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Title: Blowin' the Fuses (The Greatest Hits 1959-65)
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Title: Autobiography In Blues (Digitally Remastered)
Artist: Lightnin' Hopkins
Genre: Blues, World Music, Folk
Collections
Title: Cruisin' to the Hits of the '50s & '60s
Genre: Pop
Title: Black Power - '60s & '70s
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Let's Boogie Woogie
Genre: Blues
Title: Only Blues Music
Genre: Blues
Title: 22 Special Blues Tracks - Down by the River
Genre: Blues
Title: Soul Jazz Blues Vol. 1
Genre: Jazz
Title: Rockabilly Blues Christmas (Re-Recorded Versions)
Genre:
Title: Vanguard 50
Genre: Songwriter/Lyricist
Title: Red Hot Summer Blues
Genre: Rock, Blues Rock
Title: Blues, Blues Christmas (1925-1955)
Genre: Blues
Title: Christmas Jazz & Holiday Blues
Genre: Jazz
Title: Essential Christmas Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Live Blues From the Newport Folk Festival (Live)
Genre: Blues
Title: One for the Road
Genre: Rock
Title: Monsters of Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Merry Christmas! Songs & Holiday Music
Genre: Jazz
Title: 100% American Made Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: The Blues a Texas Anthology
Genre: Blues
Title: 100 Electric Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: The All Electric Blues Album
Genre: Blues
Title: Texas Has the Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Fats Domino & The Rhythm & Blues Friends
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Super Blues Volume Three: Texas Greats
Genre: Blues
Title: An Introduction to Texas Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Lookin' Better Every Beer
Genre: Country
Title: The Greatest Texas Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Best of Gospel Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: I Heart Christmas
Genre: Kids
Title: Acoustic Christmas Music
Genre:
Title: Blues Hall of Fame, Vol. 1
Genre: Blues
Title: Vintage Christmas Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: The Aladdin Records Story
Genre: Pop
Title: Oldies Holiday Goodies
Genre:
Title: Bustin the Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Music
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues Guitar Heroes 20 Classic Blues Songs
Genre: Blues
Title: Blues!
Genre: Blues, World Music
Title: Favorite St. Patrick's Day Songs
Genre: Folk Rock, Songwriter/Lyricist
Title: Classic Blues from Smithsonian Folkways, Vol. 2
Genre: Blues
Title: So:So Blues, Vol. 1
Genre: Blues
Title: Hits of Texas Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Best of Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Kiss Me I'm Irish
Genre: World Music
Title: Blues Hall of Fame
Genre: Blues
Title: Singin' the Blues, Vol. 2
Genre: Blues
Title: A Brief History of the Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: The House of the Rising Sun
Genre: Blues
Title: R&B Soul Hits of the Past, Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: The Blues 1
Genre: Blues
Title: Play Me The Blues (The Legendary Blues Singers)
Genre: Blues
Title: Best of Country Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1953, Vol. 4
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop
Title: Greatest R&B Hits of 1950, Vol. 1
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: The Definitive Collection of R&B Hits from 1949
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Blues Classics
Genre: Blues
Title: Downtown Blues
Genre: Blues
Title: 100 Blues Classics
Genre: Blues
Title: 100 Christmas Blues - Songs to Get You Through the Cold
Genre: Blues
Featuring albums
Title: Crazy Heart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: Down Home and Street Corner Blues: 30 Legendary Blues Songs
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Blues