Lightnin' Hopkins
Lightnin' Hopkins was an American blues musician and songwriter from Centerville, Texas. He was a highly influential and prominent figure in the Texas blues scene, and his career spanned several decades, from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Biography:
Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins was an American blues musician and songwriter from Centerville, Texas. He was born on March 15, 1912 and began playing the guitar as a young man, influenced by the local blues scene in his hometown. He started playing in local bars and juke joints, and eventually began recording for small record labels in the 1940s.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Hopkins recorded for a number of labels, including Aladdin, Herald, and Gold Star. He recorded a number of albums, including "Lightnin' Hopkins" and "Blues in My Bottle", which are considered classics of the Texas blues genre. Hopkins' style was characterized by his fingerpicking guitar technique, and his powerful, emotive vocals.
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In the late 1960s and 1970s, Hopkins' career began to gain wider recognition, as he started to tour extensively and perform at festivals across the United States and Europe. He also recorded with a number of other musicians, including Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead.
Hopkins passed away on January 30, 1982, but his music continued to be highly influential on later generations of blues and rock musicians. He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1983, and his music continues to be celebrated by fans around the world.
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Throughout his career, Lightnin' Hopkins recorded and released over fifty albums and was known for his powerful live performances. He was a true master of the Texas blues style, and his influence can be heard in the music of many of today's blues and rock musicians.