As the son of blues legend John Lee Hooker,  Hooker, Jr.  was exposed to the life of the blues from a young age. At only eight years old he performed on Detroit's WJBK radio and knew from that moment that he wanted to follow the path of his father and become a world-class musician. Unfortunately, while living the "life of a bluesman" he succumbed to the demons that surround it, derailing his musical career for many, many years. Drugs, alcohol, divorce, incarceration, and death nearly brought his career to a screeching halt.  But it was living the blues and his faith in the Almighty that resurrected Hooker Jr. A Comeback Artist of the Year award in 2004, two critically acclaimed albums with another on the way, and a continued emphasis on ingenuity has him back on track and looking towards the future.
 
            Carrying the blues legacy into the 21st century and reaching beyond the border of the blues however, Hooker welcomes and embraces the grandchild audience of hip hop with his animated bonus video, "Blues Ain't Nothing But a Pimp."  As the blues' first animated crime-fighter, a musician who sings in the clubs by night and cleans up the streets by day, Hooker magically dispenses a blues serum that becomes palatable for blues lovers and beyond!  The blues are indeed universal as his "Bluesman" character breaks down the woes of the everyday man.
 
            The "Blues Ain't Nothing But A Pimp"  animation was conceived by Frenchman Laurent Mercier at the Callicore Animation Studios in Paris.  Mercier, the son of a French jazzman contemporary of Hooker Sr., dreamt up the idea as a way for the two sons to pay tribute to their fathers' legacies and Jr. immediately embraced the vision. The video is the first of three to be released in 2008 and is included free on the enhanced disc.  It can also be viewed on the web at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEXbkGcXF-E  .
 
            Deliciously blending his traditional blues roots with a modern sound, Hooker, Jr.'s style is expressive of his Detroit roots as he mixes R&B, jazz and hip hop sensibilities to create his own urban blues style.  His innovative sound is zealously articulated in "All Odds Against Me" his first CD effort to include only new and original tracks.               Hooker Jr. lyrically serves up 12 wonderful funk filled songs welcoming us with "Dear John" a humorous ode about a break up letter received while in jail. When Hooker, Jr. moans "I feel so bad this evening, I feel like shooting some gasoline," we know its gonna be a long but smooth ride! Paying homage to his past  with "Old School" Hooker Jr. dispenses seasoned logic over a twanging solo guitar.  On "The People Want a Change" the band rocks with rhythm as Hooker, Jr. invokes a rousing blues anthem heralding the dawn of a new day.  

 

All Odds Against Me Tour 2008
August
1   Bejar, Spain                  Salamanca Blues Festival
10 Duluth, MN                   Bayfront Blues Festival
16 San Francisco, CA        Biscuits and Blues
23 Navarro, CA                 Navarro Amphitheater