Lonnie Brooks

Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr., December 18, 1933) is an American blues singer and guitarist. He was born in Dubuisson, Louisiana. Rolling Stone says, “His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, brimming with novel harmonic turnarounds, committed vocals and simply astonishing guitar work.”Palmer, Robert. Rolling Stone, 31 May 1979Parales, Jon. The New York Times, 16 March 1992

Career

He learned to play blues from his banjo-picking grandfather, but did not think about a professional career until he moved to Port Arthur, Texas in the early 1950s. There he heard live performances by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, Long John Hunter and others and began to think about making money from his music. One day, while Brooks was strumming his guitar on his front porch in Port Arthur, zydeco superstar Clifton Chenier heard him and offered him a job in his touring band.

Embarking on a solo career, he adopted the moniker of Guitar Junior and signed with Lake Charles's Goldband label. His...
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