John Lee Hooker
Boom Boom, Boogie Chillen — Father of Blues
The Final-Day Leo of the Blues
John Lee Hooker created the most elemental form of the blues — a hypnotic, repetitive groove that he called the boogie, which became the foundation of rock and roll. Born in the Mississippi Delta the year America entered World War I, he lived to 83 and made records with The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, and Bonnie Raitt, bridging every generation of American music.
Leo Legacy
- Boogie Chillen: 1948 — his debut hit, sold over a million copies, established the blues boogie
- Boom Boom: 1962 — covered by every major rock band of the 1960s
- The Healer: 1989 — Grammy-winning collaboration album with Carlos Santana and others
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Founding inductee 1986
Hooker’s Leo groove was so primal it bypassed every cultural barrier and went straight to the body.
“The blues is a healer. It healed me.”