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Lightnin' Hopkins

Lightnin' Hopkins grew up steeped in blues in Texas and learned much of his music from his distant cousin, the singer Alger 'Texas' Alexander. He was also directly inspired by meeting another blues great, Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic and began accompanying Jefferson at church gatherings. After working as a farm hand, Hopkins migrated to Los Angeles in 1946, teaming up with pianist Wilson Smith and making his first recordings. They were released on the Aladdin label, which also persuaded Hopkins to adopt the nickname Lightnin' to make him sound more dynamic. This led t...