Lightnin' Hopkins

American country blues singer, songwriter and guitarist.

Born: 15 March 1912, Centerville, Leon County, Texas, USA. - Died: 30 January 1982, Houston, Texas, USA.

In 1920, Hopkins met the legendary [a=Blind Lemon Jefferson] at a social function and got a chance to play with him.

His cousin was [a=Texas Alexander]. While they were playing together in Houston in 1946, he was discovered by Lola Anne Cullum of Los Angeles' [l=Aladdin Records]. Hopkins first recorded with pianist Wilson Smith and the pair were dubbed 'Lightning' & 'Thunder' to add some dynamic to their marketing.

Strong recordings followed from Hopkins, such as his song "Mojo Hand" (1960). He later inspired many artists such as [a=Jimmie Vaughan], [a=Townes Van Zandt] and [a=Ron "Pigpen" McKernan].

Often miscredited for writing the 1954 [a=Chuck Willis]' song "I Feel So Bad" covered by [a=Little Milton] and [a=Elvis Presley] among others. He also wrote a song by the same name released in 1947 on [l=Aladdin (6)] and in 1962 on [l=Imperial].