Lightnin' Hopkins
 

Every so often an artist jumps out of my homemade mix tapes (CDs) and I think nobody can touch that. Lightnin' definitely is one of them. It's one thing to remember them and another to hear them. He's like an acoustic Led Zeppelin or something.

Back when I was a kid, my father was a route salesman. He sold and delivered condiments and snacks to stores and restaurants. I frequently went with him on Fridays during the summer, and there was this tavern (locally known as a "beer joint") on his Friday route. On the porch of this old tavern there was usually an old black man playing a guitar.

That was the first time I heard Lightnin Hopkins.

One of my favorites!

Now that is cool!

One of my favorite Lightnin’ lines, I believe from Cadillac Blues:
“Rubber on wheels, is faster, than rubber on heels”.

Saw him a bunch in the Austin/ Houston axis, late 60’s and onward. Hard to say he’s underrated, but, he’s underrated.

A true triple, or quadruple threat. Singer, player, writer/performer.

Fantastic!

Lightnin' is definitely underrated.

He is about as pure and simple a blues guitarist as it gets. Nothing too overly technical, but OOZING with soul and feeling.

He's the reason I first said to myself, " Oh, I HAVE to try this guitar-playing-thing ! " :)

If you like blues, you owe it to yourself to listen to Mojo Hand. I DARE you to not have your foot tapping along by the end. ;)

That man influenced my fingerpicking style. Lightnin' is tops.

Just to give us some to listen to...



And, "Hurricane Beulah" and "Baby, Scratch My Back"

There was nobody else like him. From the 1960s on if anybody asked me if there was somebody else I would like to sound like, the answer is always the same - Lighning Hopkins.

Good stuff! I'm a fan.