Lightnin' Hopkins

His Life and Blues

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Music Styles, Jazz & Blues, Blues, Biography & Memoir, Composers & Musicians
Cover of the book Lightnin' Hopkins by Alan Govenar, Chicago Review Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Alan Govenar ISBN: 9781569766200
Publisher: Chicago Review Press Publication: May 1, 2010
Imprint: Chicago Review Press Language: English
Author: Alan Govenar
ISBN: 9781569766200
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Publication: May 1, 2010
Imprint: Chicago Review Press
Language: English

Based on scores of interviews with the artist’s relatives, friends, lovers, producers, accompanists, managers, and fans, this brilliant biography reveals a man of many layers and contradictions. Following the journey of a musician who left his family's poor cotton farm at age eight carrying only a guitar, the book chronicles his life on the open road playing blues music and doing odd jobs. It debunks 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. This volume also discusses his hard-to-read personality; whether playing for black audiences in Houston’s Third Ward, for white crowds at the Matrix in San Francisco, or in the concert halls of Europe, Sam Hopkins was a musician who poured out his feelings in his songs and knew how to endear himself to his audience—yet it was hard to tell if he was truly sincere, and he appeared to trust no one. Finally, this book moves beyond exploring his personal life and details his entire musical career, from his first recording session in 1946—when he was dubbed Lightnin’—to his appearance on the national charts and his rediscovery by Mack McCormick and Sam Charters in 1959, when his popularity had begun to wane and a second career emerged, playing to white audiences rather than black ones. Overall, this narrative tells the story of an important blues musician who became immensely successful by singing with a searing emotive power about his country roots and the injustices that informed the civil rights era.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Based on scores of interviews with the artist’s relatives, friends, lovers, producers, accompanists, managers, and fans, this brilliant biography reveals a man of many layers and contradictions. Following the journey of a musician who left his family's poor cotton farm at age eight carrying only a guitar, the book chronicles his life on the open road playing blues music and doing odd jobs. It debunks 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. This volume also discusses his hard-to-read personality; whether playing for black audiences in Houston’s Third Ward, for white crowds at the Matrix in San Francisco, or in the concert halls of Europe, Sam Hopkins was a musician who poured out his feelings in his songs and knew how to endear himself to his audience—yet it was hard to tell if he was truly sincere, and he appeared to trust no one. Finally, this book moves beyond exploring his personal life and details his entire musical career, from his first recording session in 1946—when he was dubbed Lightnin’—to his appearance on the national charts and his rediscovery by Mack McCormick and Sam Charters in 1959, when his popularity had begun to wane and a second career emerged, playing to white audiences rather than black ones. Overall, this narrative tells the story of an important blues musician who became immensely successful by singing with a searing emotive power about his country roots and the injustices that informed the civil rights era.

More books from Chicago Review Press

Cover of the book Curious Case of Kiryas Joel by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book The Eagle and the Raven by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Too Late for the Festival by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Fever and Thirst by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Africa for Kids by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book US of AA by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Mob Cop by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Klandestine by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Women of Privilege by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Financial Intimacy by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Monet and the Impressionists for Kids by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Visions and Imaginings by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book The Long Journey Home by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Chicago History for Kids by Alan Govenar
Cover of the book Odyssey to Ushuaia by Alan Govenar
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy