August 22: John Lee Hooker - legendary blues singer-songwriter and guitarist - was born on this day in 1917...

... he died on June 21, 2001.

Born in Mississippi, Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues - developing a "talking blues" style that became his trademark. Hooker's music often incorporated the boogie-woogie piano style and a driving rhythm into his blues guitar and singing. His best known songs include "Boogie Chillen" (1948) and "Boom Boom" (1962).

Hooker spent most of his career in Detroit, and his life experiences were chronicled by several scholars and often read like a classic case study in the racism of the music industry, although he eventually rose to prominence with memorable songs and influence on a generation of musicians.

His songs have been covered by Cream, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Tom Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Buddy Guy, The Doors, The White Stripes, MC5, George Thorogood, R. L. Burnside, The J. Geils Band, The Wheels, The Gories, Cat Power, Big Head Todd and the Monsters and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Hooker's honors include:
• A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Induction into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980
• Membership Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991
• Induction into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2007.

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