Lightnin' Hopkins

**Samuel John "Lightnin'" Hopkins** (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. The musicologist Robert "Mack" McCormick opined that Hopkins is "the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act".

Hopkins was born in Centerville, Texas. As a child, he was immersed in the sounds of the blues. He developed a deep appreciation for the music at the age of 8, when he met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic in Buffalo, Texas. He went on to learn from his distant older cousin, the country blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander; Hopkins had another cousin, the Texas electric blues guitarist Frankie Lee Sims, with whom he later recorded. Hopkins began accompanying Jefferson on guitar at informal church gatherings. Jefferson reputedly never let anyone play with him except Hopkins, and Hopkins learned much from Jefferson at these gatherings.

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## Links to Kershaw

Kershaw is a fan of much of Lightnin' Hopkins material and would play many of his songs on his radio programmes. In an interview with Word magazine in 2010, Kershaw mentioned discussing Lightnin' Hopkins with John Peel, who was also an admirer of the blues guitarist. [1]

## Shows Played

   1986
* 27 February 1986: Let's Move (LP - Bad Boogie Volume Two) Diving Duck

1987
* 01 January 1987: Moving Out Boogie (Let's Move) (LP - Bad Boogie Volume Two) Diving Duck
* 25 June 1987: Jake Head Boogie
* 06 August 1987: Vietnam Blues Pts 1 & 2 (LP - Move On Out) Charly R&B

1990
* 09 December 1990: Trouble Stay Away From My Door

1991
* 16 June 1991: Bring Me My Shotgun

1992
* 26 January 1992: Lightnin's Boogie (2xCD - The Complete Aladdin Recordings) EMI
* 09 February 1992: Daddy Will Be Home One Day
* 14 March 1992: Jake Head Boogie (v/a 3CD - 60 Great Blues Recordings) Cascade
* 28 November 1992: How Many More Years I Got To Let You Dog Me Around
* 12 December 1992: Mama Blues (CD - How Many More Years I Got) Ace

1993
* 30 January 1993: Happy Blues For John Glenn (CD - How Many More Years I Got) Fantasy
* 20 November 1993: Moving Out Boogie (Let's Move) (LP - Bad Boogie Volume Two) Diving Duck

1994
* 18 December 1994: California Mudslide (CD - California Mudslide (And Earthquake)) Ace

1996
* 03 March 1996: Long Gone Like A Turkey Through The Corn
* 11 August 1996: Get Off My Toe Time
* 17 November 1996: Let's Go Sit On The Lawn

1997
* 06 October 1997: 75 Highway Time (CD - Autobiography In Blues) Tradition
* 08 December 1997: Grandma's Boogie (LP - Flash Lightnin' Volume One) Diving Duck

1998
* 19 January 1998: Happy Blues For John Glenn (CD - Blues In My Bottle/Walking This Road By Myself) Ace
* 05 November 1998: Happy Blues For John Glenn (CD - Blues In My Bottle) Ace

1999
* 04 February 1999: Jake Head Boogie (CD - Jack Head Boogie) Ace
* 18 February 1999: Jake Head Boogie (CD - Jake Head Boogie) Ace
* 04 March 1999: Another Fool In Town (CD - Jakehead Boogie) Ace

2000
* 03 February 2000: Big Mama Jump (Compilation CD - Feel So Bad) Indigo

2001
* 16 November 2001: Happy Blues For John Glenn (CD - How Many More Years I Got) Ace

2003
* 12 October 2003: I'm Taking A Devil Of A Chance (CD - Double Blues) Ace

2004
* 31 October 2004: Movin' Out Boogie

2006
* 15 January 2006: Let's Go Sit On The Lawn (CD - Double Blues) Ace
* 02 April 2006: Jail House Blues (v/a CD - John Peel And Sheila ‎– The Pig's Big 78s - A Beginner's Guide) Trikont

2007
* 26 March 2007: Movin' On Out Boogie (Let's Move) (album - Lightnin' Hopkins - Texas Troubadour) Proper
* 09 April 2007: Jake Head Boogie (album - Texas Thunderbolt) Proper

2021
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 7: Let's Go Sit On The Lawn (album - Double Blues) Ace

2022
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 16: Moving Out Boogie (Let's Move) (album - Bad Boogie Volume Two) Diving Duck

## External Links

* Wikipedia
* Discogs