You Tube Gold: John Lee Hooker Live

 American blues singer and musician John Lee Hooker, circa 1965. | Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

What a brilliant and unique musician

This video shows a slice of American music from 1969 that’s really powerful.

John Lee Hooker is the main star but the rest of the band is also superb.

For those who may not know, Hooker was born in Mississippi in 1917 (or possibly 1912). He ran away from home at 14, ended up in Memphis for awhile before ultimately moving to Detroit.

He developed an eccentric and highly personal style and tended to change things up on the fly a lot.

Like a lot of blues musicians of his day, and musicians in generally really, Hooker was exploited by record companies and never properly compensated for his work.

His guitar style and his deep, powerful voice ensured that his music would last though.

This video is from 1969 and while we recognized Willie Dixon, we didn’t know everyone else here. The pianist is Sunnyland Slim though and you don’t have to listen for long to understand he’s a masterful musician.

Hooker had a long and remarkable career and appreciation for him grew steadily later in his career. He makes an appearance in the Blues Brothers movie in 1980 and appeared on Van Morrison’s Too Long In Exile in 1993. On that album, he was either 71 or 76 and while his voice was powerful and he had learned how to use it more subtly.

One other small note about this performance: like Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, he uses his fingers rather than a pick which is unusual on electric guitar. In this, as in all things, he was his own man.