Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life and Blues
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.92 (896 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1556529627 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-05-24 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
His detailed examination of how the delightfully cantankerous Hopkins rode the folk music craze of the early 1960s to rediscovery and a second, probably more remunerative recording career should be a cornerstone of blues-covering pop-music collections. Leaving home when still a child, Hopkins spent most of his life pursuing the sex-and-drinks-and-blues lifestyle that preceded the sex-and-drugs-and-rock-’n’-roll model, at least in the popular imagination. --Mike Tribby . From Booklist In only the second biographical book on seminal blues guitarist-singer Hopkins (see Sarah Ann West, Deep Down Hard Blues, 1995), Govenar traces Hopkins’ long, twisting route to worldwide fame. Apparently dubbed Lightnin’ at his 1946 first recording session, the moniker wasn’t, as oft-rumored, a tribute to his guitar stylings but made to go with session-mate Wilson Smith being called Thund
"I wanted more" according to Musical Expeditionary. I was truly excited about reading this biography but I was left dissatisfied. I wanted to taste the gin, breathe the smoke, and feel as if I was sitting in the juke joint. This book did not provide that for me. Written more from a 'reporter' perspective, it gives the necessary details on Lightnin's recording career, but does not provide enough background on . Po Lighnin' 'splained for true Lightnin’s story Is well-told and worth the read. Some of us are old enough to have lived in those early times and for that dwindling crowd the story may sometimes dwell on the obvious but for younger generations perhaps that is necessary. The book fills in a lot of gaps, paints a three dimensional portrait of a great bluesman, and has a great discogra. Neil Riethmuller said Great Lightnin' Hopkins book. Having enjoyed Lightning's music since first being exposed to it in the 1960's, it was rewarding to learn more detail of his life and music. The book confirms my knowledge gained over the years from LP cover notes, occasional articles etc. The overview of his status in the blues recording world and perception of his distinctive style was reassuring. His own
He made his living however he could, sticking to the open road, playing the blues, and taking odd jobs when money was short. But by the time he was “rediscovered” by Mack McCormick and Sam Charters in 1959, his popularity had begun to wane. A second career emerged--now Lightnin’ was pitched to white audiences, not black ones, and he became immensely successful, singing about his country roots and injustices that informed the civil rights era with a searing emotive power. More than a decade in the making, this biography is based on scores of interviews with Lightnin’s lover, friends, producers, accompanists, managers, and fans.. This biography delves into Hopkins’s early years, exploring the myths surrounding his meetings with Blind Lemon Jefferson and Texas Alexander, his time on a chain gang, his relationships with women, and his lifelong appetite for gambling and drinking. Hopkins didn’t begin recording until 1946, when h