Lightnin' Hopkins - Live From The Ash Grove...Plus! (CD)

Never released performances from the legendary blues guitarist solo at the Ash Grove in Los Angeles in 1966 and 1970, and with a band in 1971.Samuel John Hopkins was born in 1912 to a poor sharecropping family in Centerville, Texas. He immersed himself in the blues at an early age, having met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic not long after having struck out on his own. In 1946, Hopkins was 'discovered' by Aladdin Records' talent scout Lola Anne Cullum, who convinced him to travel to Los Angeles from Houston. There, he cut sides both as a solo artist and as part of a duo with pianist Wilson Smith. It was during his stint at Aladdin that he acquired his nickname, while his partner was dubbed 'Thunder.' Shortly thereafter, Hopkins returned to Houston, his home base for the balance of his life.He was a world-class song improviser and performer, but it was as a guitarist that Hopkins had the most impact. Jimmie Vaughan once said that without Hopkins, there would be no Jimi Hendrix,