Buried here:

John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker was one of the most distinctive and influential figures in blues history. Born into a sharecropping family in Mississippi (sources mostly give August 22, 1917, though there is uncertainty — some say 1912) he learned guitar from his stepfather Will Moore.

Hooker’s early life involved traveling through the South — Memphis, Cincinnati — before settling in Detroit around 1943. While in Detroit, he worked factory jobs by day, and played blues gigs at night; gradually, his blues style evolved from acoustic Delta roots toward a raw, rhythmic electric blues.

He recorded “Boogie Chillen’” in 1948 — a milestone recording for several reasons: it was largely solo (just voice, electric guitar, and his foot stomping for rhythm), sold very well, and was one of the first “down-home” electric blues tracks to become a hit.

Some of his signature songs include:

Boogie Chillen’ (1948) — foundational, set the pattern for his style of driving, repetitive guitar rhythms and hypnotic solo performance.
Detroit Historical Society

Crawling King Snake (1949) — another early classic.
Detroit Historical Society

Dimples (1956) and Boom Boom (1962) — later hits, helped further popularize his style and gave him crossover appeal.

Over his long career (spanning from the 1940s into the 1990s and early 2000s), he earned numerous honors: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (1991); multiple Grammy Awards; a Lifetime Achievement Award; and his influence. Many later blues, rock, and folk musicians cite him as a foundational influence.

John Lee Hooker Discography

The Detroit Years (recordings 1948–1955)
1959 – House of the Blues 
1960 – The Blues
1961 – Sings the Blues
1961 – John Lee Hooker Plays & Sings the Blues
1961 – John Lee Hooker Sings Blues 
1962 – Folk Blues 
1963 – The Great John Lee Hooker
1963 – Don’t Turn Me from Your Door
1963 – John Lee Hooker & Big Maceo 
1964 – Original Folk Blues
1966 – John Lee Hooker & His Guitar
1969 – No Friend Around
1970 – Alone 
1971 – Goin’ Down Highway 51 
1971 – Coast to Coast Blues Band – Any Where – Any Time – Any Place
1972 – Johnny Lee
1973 – John Lee Hooker’s Detroit
1973 – Mad Man Blues
1973 – Hooker, Hopkins, Hogg
1973 – Slim’s Stomp
1979 – Southern Blues
1981 – Blues for Big Town
1987 – Gotham Golden Classics
1987 – Detroit Blues
1989 – 40th Anniversary Album 
1990 – Boogie Awhile
1999 – Savoy Blues Legends, 1948–1949 
2000 – The Unknown John Lee Hooker

The Chicago Years (recordings 1955–1964)
1959 – I’m John Lee Hooker
1960 – Travelin’ 
1961 – The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker
1962 – Burnin’ 
1962 – The Big Soul of John Lee Hooker 
1963 – John Lee Hooker on Campus 
1965 – …And Seven Nights
1974 – In Person 

The Folk Years (recordings 1959–1963)
1959 – The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker
1963 – Live at Sugar Hill 
1964 – Burning Hell 
1964 – Concert at Newport 
1969 – That’s Where It’s At! 

The ABC Years (recordings 1965–1974)
1965 – It Serves You Right to Suffer 
1966 – The Real Folk Blues 
1967 – Live at Cafe Au Go Go
1967 – Urban Blues
1968 – On the Waterfront 
1969 – Simply the Truth
1969 – If You Miss ‘Im…I Got ‘Im 
1971 – Hooker ‘n Heat 
1971 – Endless Boogie 
1971 – Kabuki Wuki
1972 – Never Get Out of These Blues Alive 
1973 – Live at Soledad Prison 
1973 – Born in Mississippi, Raised Up in Tennessee 
1974 – Free Beer and Chicken

The Rosebud Years (recordings 1975–2001)
1978 – Live + Well
1981 – Hooker ‘n’ Heat Recorded Live at the Fox Venice Theatre
1986 – Jealous
1989 – The Healer
1990 – The Hot Spot
1991 – Mr. Lucky
1992 – Boom Boom 
1995 – Chill Out

John died on June 21, 2001, at the age of either 83 or 88 depending on whom you talk to.

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