Your John Lee Hooker tributes

One of the most influential blues musicians of the 20th century, guitarist, John Lee Hooker, has died at the age of 83.

He was a giant of the Blues whose career covered pre-war acoustic Blues, the electric Blues of the 1950s, the Blues revival of the 1960s and went on to have a golden autumn.

One of 11 children of a Mississippi farm worker, John Lee Hooker was taught the guitar by his stepfather, and ran away from home at fourteen to play and sing in Memphis and Detroit.

In 1948, a record of his song, Boogie Chillen, was an immediate success and other hits followed, including Boom Boom and Dimples.

Send us your tributes using the form below.

This Talking Point has now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

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I have met John when he moved to my town in Gilroy 1980. He was a quiet man, but there was a very strong presence to him. He lived the "Blues" - always touring - but when he came home we always treated him like family.
Louie Salinas, USA

He was unique in the way he played the Blues

Isaacs George, New Zealand

I was shocked to read of the death of JLH. He was unique in the way he played the Blues. What with his foot keeping time, his voice a low rumble, and his song of love gone wrong, it was magic. He will join the pantheon of greats like Earl Hooker, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Albert and Freddie King as one of the all time greats. It is a sad day for music.
Isaacs George, New Zealand

Hooker's greatest gift to the world was his song "Boogie Chillen'", which was an autobiographical account of how his parents didn't want him to boogie woogie, and other relatives saying to let him go: "That child's got the boogie woogie inside him, and it's got to come out". This was in 1949 in Detroit, and that one line touched off the musical and cultural revolution that infused rock 'n roll, blues, and other dynamic musical forms into the mainstream of western culture. God bless JLH and all the other great Delta bluesmen like him.
Edward Donahue, USA

He saw my show and asked me backstage to meet him

Kelly Smith, USA

I first met John when I was singing for the Mark Castro Band. We opened up for him at the Keystone Palo Alto. He saw my show and asked me backstage to meet him. I was scared to death. He appeared to me to be like a king, with a beautiful woman on either side of him, and the whole room was just a hum. I walked over to him and he said in a really low and quiet voice, "I like your singing young man". I reached out and shook his hand and felt I was given the right to be a pro at that point. Though I've meet many icons of the music business, meeting John Lee Hooker was the most spiritual and empowering moment in my musical career. God Bless You, John Lee Hooker.
Kelly Smith, USA

Although we knew he couldn't live forever, didn't we all wish he could have. Truly the King of the blues, his was the sexiest voice ever recorded. All those that got to see him perform were really lucky!
Jill Wilcox, USA

John Lee is now with all the other great Blues men who have gone before, such as Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins, Albert King and our own Alexis Korner. There must be one big party goin' on!
Geoff Parry, UK

The #1 one blues man of all time

Abdulfez, Japan

Growing up in the early 60s in America we never heard any blues on the radio. Just top 40 chart and country. That does not mean we did not get some blues influences. Old films from the 20s and 30s featured many black Americans as actors, singers, musicians and dancers. This group of super-talented artists were our only connection to the early boogie-woogie and swing sounds, being direct off-shoots of early blues.

When the 60s blues/rock sound started coming out of England we heard a connection, but we did not know why. After some digging we young musicians finally connected to John Lee Hooker and other blues greats. Happy to finally hear and play the real thing, we were just too young and dumb to find the right records!

John Lee paid tribute to the British Blues Explosion for lifting the genre off the ground and I wish to do so again to the #1 one blues man of all time. May I suggest from his almost endless songlist, the very simple style called "Folk Blues" with titles like "When My First Wife Left Me" and Wednesday Evening Blues" as some of his best.
Abdulfez, Japan

I feel as if I'm walking down Beale Street in Memphis with him by my side, guitar in his hand... In music, few people are still credible at 38. To be credible, respected, admired and, well, cool at 83 is an achievement that goes beyond the combined sales figures of all one-hit wonders.
Giacomo Squintani, UK

His music is in fact unique: John Lee Hooker's blues

Bart Andrew Colen, USA

In a field of music which has seen so many greats over the years, John Lee occupies his own special place. I think it was Keith Richards who called the first few seconds of (the original recording of) "Crawlin' Kingsnake" one of the most unique sounds he had ever heard.

What a fantastic singer and guitar player John Lee was and it is not at all contrived to say that his music is in fact unique: not Delta Blues, not Chicago Blues, not Country Blues, but just John Lee Hooker's Blues; which could be a fast boogie like "Boogie Chillun", a slow groove like "Crawlin' Kingsnake" or something mournful and eerie like "Wednesday Evening Blues". I am pleased that Johnny got the recognition in his life that many others were so fortunate to enjoy. I simply really enjoy listening to his music and the obvious sincerity with which he did it...I cannot exhaust the superlatives...
Bart Andrew Colen, USA

Some people sang the blues, some people played the blues. John Lee Hooker WAS the blues.
Simon Wilson, Scotland

On a recent trip to Burkina Faso West Africa I shared a quite packed taxi in Ouagadougou and what should come strumming out of the Peugeot's blown speakers but John Lee, growling the blues in English over the radio, - all heads bobbed to his beat, even the chickens' - it was a moment.
Rupert Fike, USA

You can't sing the blues unless you've lived them

Robert del Valle, USA

I saw Hooker perform in Detroit once. I asked him why so many new performers seemed to only get half as close to the music as he and his contemporaries did. He answered, "You can't sing the blues unless you've lived them." Amen.
Robert del Valle, USA

I, like many others, discovered John Lee Hooker at a very late stage in his life. It's good to know that he achieved success even at an age when most musicians are looking to retire to the farm. The mark of a true genius is the legacy of love and respect he leaves behind and John Lee Hooker was both loved and respected by a wide-ranging group of fans. He will be missed.
Paul Williams, London

John Lee Hooker's musical influence was truly felt around the world

Raynald Adams, Canada

A few years ago, at a music festival in Toronto, Canada, I was a "chaperon" of sorts to a musician from Mali, Boubacar Traore, who did not speak any English. My job was to guide him around the site and the city, and to act as an interpreter when necessary.

Another guest at the same festival was John Lee's daughter, Zakiya Hooker. She wanted to meet this "Blues Man" from Africa and have a chat with him, which I was fortunate enough to have translated.

Traore had no idea who this young woman was, until she introduced herself as John Lee Hooker's daughter.

Then it was like Traore had met a god's daughter!

After the two parted ways, he simply could not believe he had just met the great John Lee Hooker's daughter.

John Lee Hooker's musical influence was truly felt around the world. My condolences to you, Zakiya.
Raynald Adams, Canada

John Lee Hooker was an amazing talent whose very life defined the history of 20th Century America. Born in the Delta. Migrated north through Cincinatti and into Detroit. Taken advantage of by greedy record producers. Threatened with obscurity, only to be discovered by British and Irish blues fanatics like Eric Burdon, Keith Richards and Van Morrison. Eventually reintroduced to a new generation of Americans by our transatlantic brethren. An enduring influence on everyone from Carlos Santana to St. Germain. And he captured that whole life in song. To the Crawlin' King Snake I say BIP. Boogie in peace.
Kevin, USA

It was about 1967-68. I was looking for something but I didn't know what, then I heard on the radio Peter Green doing his thing - that thing was a John Lee Hooker riff. Then it suddenly struck me! The Blues, that's IT! I found my path and ever since music has been and will always be my life. I think most people agree that black musicians like J.L.H. gave us everything, and those that don't agree ain't alive. RIP[rock in peace]
Tom Greenwood, UK

I'm stunned, though it happens to all of us. May you rock Heaven, though you will be missed down here on Earth.
Marion, UK in USA

He didn't write songs so much as remember them from some deep well of handed-down memory

Andrew Bradley, England

John Lee Hooker played deep Blues from the depths of his soul - he didn't write songs so much as remember them from some deep well of handed-down memory. I think his influence will continue to be felt for years to come, and his recordings collected and treasured. A musical and cultural giant of the twentieth century. And one cool dude.
Andrew Bradley, England

A sad loss and irreplaceable. I've loved his stuff since I first got into Blues in the early seventies. Rest in peace, John - you're home now.
Serdar, UK

Sitting on stage, his sweat moving more than his body, his guitar running shivers up your spine, his voice talking from the Blues of Africa: truly this was The Man. Thanks for everything, John Lee.
Eugene, Italy

I grew up listening to John Lee Hooker playing the Blues. His music has been part of my life for many years. Thank you, John, for making the world a richer place. I'll miss you.
Chris, UK

John Lee was the man that night

Randy, UK

He's out-lived virtually every-one. He was never as fashionable as BB King or Muddy Waters over here - until his rediscovery in the nineties. The Animals were big fans. I remember going to see the American Folk Blues Festival in 1968 at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, with Big Joe Williams, Shaky Horton, T-Bone Walker, Jimmy Reed, and others. John Lee was the man that night. As for the Stones, I wouldn't want to speak for them but always believed that Jimmy Reed, Bo Didley and Chuck Berry, maybe Muddy Waters, were their biggest influences.

The best recordings of John Lee Hooker were on an album called "Hooker 'n' Heat", produced by Canned Heat's Bob Hite and featuring wonderful duetting with the late Alan Wilson on blues mouth harp - one mike for his voice, a pick up on his guitar and a mike on the floor to catch his foot stomping. Never still! And while the rest of the world was stuck in 12 bars, he'd be doing 11 bars, 7 bars, 15 bars. Never 12 unless he had to carry someone with him (Alan Wilson was the exception - he followed him every time.) Great man. Sorry to see him go.
Randy, UK

He is still the best!!!!
Dominic Okobi, London

Undoubtably one of the greatest musicians of all time, with a distinctive style all his own. John Lee Hooker's music spans all ages, colours, musical styles and tastes with a truly unique talent. A mark of his true greatness is that so many of the musical greats from the past five decades can claim Hooker as part of their inspiration. A remarkable man, a remarkable talent and a remarkable life.
Stuart, UK

I guess heaven will be boogieing tonight

John D. Owen, UK

I first met John Lee Hooker's music through the British rhythm and blues bands of the early Sixties. The Animals, in particular were huge Hooker fans, and the first two albums drew drew heavily on Hooker's songs. That led me back to the originals, and Hooker's majestic voice and pungent guitar work became one of the constant pulses of my life. Thank you, John Lee Hooker, for enlarging all our lives. I guess heaven will be boogieing tonight!
John D. Owen, UK

John Lee understood the blues so well. His talent and his love for all the people for whom he performed will always stand as testament to one of the greatest Bluesmen of all times. It's gonna be cool up there in heaven tonight!
Andy, England

There can be few Rock and Blues musicians that do not owe either in part or whole a great deal to John Le Hooker, Chuck Berry, the Stones through to the Stone Roses. He was in my humble opinion the father of Rock N'Roll.
Richard Wise, England

John Lee Hooker's raw Blues lives on in the music you hear today - everything from pop to dance to heavy rock. The Blues is more than just three chords - it's an outpouring of emotion that we can all understand. I'm sure the old man is grinning at this very moment, charming the wings off the angels in heaven.
Ash Kemp, United Kingdom

I'm learning to play harp to the tunes of (among others) JLH. Now I'll never get to hear him live. The world's a poorer place for losing this old string-plucker, but I'm certain the sounds of Heaven are richer for it.
Marty, Nederlands

To have inspired the Stones you had to have been really great. R.I.P.
Indres Pillay, South Africa

This is not a time for sorrow. This is not a loss for anyone or even the blues. This is time of joyous celebration of an amazing man and his music, and for the long, creative life he enjoyed. Do not cry with sorrow, but with gratitude and pray that many more like him this way pass.
Dave Piggott, England

Long live John Lee Hooker. His boogie will always chill my bones. Today I am blue.
Atticboho, England

Without John Lee Hooker there would not have been any popular music as he carried the spirit of black music all over the world. He influenced musicians of all genres and was, like Miles Davis said, "the hippest man on earth". Sleep well, John Lee. Boom Boom...
Martin, Germany

I'm really sorry - I think nobody can play like him any more
Reza, Iran