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John Lee Hooker Jr.

The Blessing and the Burden of Being Heir to a Blues Legend

Born on January 13, 1952 in Detroit, John Lee Hooker Jr. is the son of blues legend John Lee Hooker. Touring with his father while in his teens, by the time he was 16 he had already performed in prestigious venues such as Detroit's Fox Theatre with acclaimed musicians such as Jimmy Reed. In 1972, an eighteen year-old John Lee Hooker Jr. was singing vocals alongside his father for the recording of Hooker, Sr.'s album Live at Soledad Prison. Unfortunately, while living the "life of a blues man" he succumbed to the demons that surround it, derailing his musical career for the next 25 years. Drugs, alcohol, divorce, incarceration, and death may have brought his once promising career to a screeching halt. With the support of his family and friends, and a crew of talented musicians who never ceased to believe in him, John Lee Hooker Jr. finally found his own inner muse making music that expresses the depth of emotion he has experienced in his personal life. Touring relentlessly in support of his debut album, John Lee Hooker Jr. is joined by keyboardist Will "Roc" Griffin, bassist Craig Robinson, drummer Michael Skinner, and features 19-year-old blues prodigy Jeff Horan on lead guitar. John Lee Hooker Jr. and his band have shared the stage with legends such as B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Charlie Musselwhite, Luther Tucker, Johnny Johnson, Elvin Bishop, Ron Thompson, and Canned Heat to name a few. They tour non-stop across many countries. Released in April 2004, his album Blues with a Vengeance certainly lives up to its name by wrapping up 2004 with a Grammy nomination in the Traditional Blues Album category and recently won the distinguished W.C. Handy Award for Best New Artist Debut! The California Music Awards named Blues with a Vengeance 2004's Outstanding Blues Album of the Year, and the Bay Area Blues Society presented John Lee Hooker Jr. with the 2004 Comeback Artist of the Year award.

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