Earl Hooker

Earl Zebedee Hooker (no relation to John Lee Hooker) was widely considered by fellow musicians to be the most technically accomplished guitarist in the Chicago blues, a virtuoso slide player whose mastery of the instrument was compared to that of Robert Nighthawk and Elmore James. He recorded for numerous labels including Rockin', Chief, Age, and Blue Thumb, but chronic tuberculosis and a restless, itinerant personality prevented him from achieving the commercial success his talent warranted. His instrumental recordings, particularly 'Blue Guitar' and his pioneering use of the wah-wah pedal on 'Two Bugs and a Roach,' were influential among musicians. B.B. King called him the best guitarist he ever heard. He died of TB in 1970 at age 40.