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James Hooker (born July 20, 1948) is an American keyboard player, singer/songwriter and composer.


Biography


Early years

Hooker grew up in South Carolina. He began performing in nightclubs during his 9th grade school year. Leaving school before entering his senior year, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina to work in the house band "The Magnificent Seven", at The Merchant Seamans Club on East Bay Street.


Session work

In 1968, Hooker became a member of the
Hi Rhythm Section The Hi Rhythm Section was the house band for hit soul albums by several artists, including Al Green and Ann Peebles, on Willie Mitchell's Hi Records label in the 1970s. The band included the three Hodges brothers, organist Charles Hodges, bassis ...
for
HI Records Hi Records is an American soul music and rockabilly label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1957 by singer Ray Harris, record store owner Joe Cuoghi, Bill Cantrell and Quinton Claunch (formerly producers for Sun Records), and three silent partn ...
at
Royal Studios Royal Studios is a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1956, it is one of the oldest continuously operated music recording studios in the world. It is widely known for producer, recording artist and owner ...
in
South Memphis South Memphis, one of the oldest portions of Memphis, Tennessee, is a community stretching from Midtown and Downtown to the Mississippi state line. In its early days, it was primarily an agrarian community. South Memphis has many well-known neig ...
. While working with
Eddie Floyd Edward Lee Floyd (born June 25, 1937) is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s, including the No. 1 R&B hit song " Knock on Wood". Biography Floyd was born in ...
in early 1970, Hooker met and recorded with
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
(before Hooker changed his name from James Brown). Hooker moved to
Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the populati ...
in 1971, where he worked for
Rick Hall Roe Erister "Rick" Hall (January 31, 1932 – January 2, 2018) was an American record producer, songwriter, and musician who became known as the owner of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. As the "Father of Muscle Shoals Music", he was i ...
as a member of the FAME Gang at
FAME Studios FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios is a recording studio located at 603 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, an area of northern Alabama known as the Shoals. Though small and distant from the main recording locations of the ...
. This was also when he began writing songs.


The Amazing Rhythm Aces

Hooker returned to Memphis in late 1972. While working on staff at
Sam Phillips Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003) was an American record producer. He was the founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he produced recordings by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, ...
recording studios, Hooker was asked to be a founding member of The Amazing Rhythm Aces. He was an active member of the band from 1975 to the early 1980s, and remains an inactive member today, but participated in reunion recordings and shows in the 1990s.


Steve Winwood

Hooker was
Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his disti ...
's keyboard player, including the "Back in the High Life" tour. "Freedom Overspill" (written by Hooker, Winwood, and George Fleming) was on Winwood's ''
Back in the High Life ''Back in the High Life'' is the fourth solo album by English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, released on 30 June 1986. The album proved to be Winwood's biggest success to that date, certified Gold in the UK and 3Ã ...
'' album and on the soundtrack to the film '' Big Shots''. Hooker performed as part of the ARMS concert with Winwood at The Royal Albert Hall, as well as the ARMS American tour with
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
,
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
,
Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...
,
Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
,
Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...
, and
Bill Wyman William George Wyman (né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ...
.


Nanci Griffith

Hooker was
Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'' starting in 1985 (season 10). In 1994 she won a Grammy Award fo ...
's band leader for 20 years. They composed and recorded songs such as "Gulf Coast Highway" and "Hometown Streets."


Awards

In 1976, Hooker won a
Grammy award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group as part of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, for the song "The End Is Not In Sight (The Cowboy Tune)."


Personal life

In 2007, Hooker retired from touring and moved to Ireland and then to Mallorca, Spain. He lives in Ireland and Spain with his wife Jessica, where he records songs and instrumentals for visual media.


Discography


Solo albums

* 2009: Slow Boat To Memphis *2010: ''Hanging Out with the Boys'' * 2010: ''Maggie´s Drawers'' * 2013: ''Sex On the Beach''


As a member of the

Amazing Rhythm Aces Amazing may refer to: Music Performers * The Amazing, a Swedish indie rock band Albums * ''Amazing'' (Banaroo album), 2006 * ''Amazing'' (Elkie Brooks album), 1996 * ''Amazing'' (Marcia Hines album) or the title song, 2014 * ''Amazin'' (Tri ...

* 1975: '' Stacked Deck'' (
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
) * 1976: '' Too Stuffed to Jump'' (ABC) * 1977: '' Toucan Do It Too'' (ABC) * 1978: '' Burning the Ballroom Down'' (ABC) * 1979: ''The Amazing Rhythm Aces'' (ABC) * 1980: ''How The Hell Do You Spell Rythum'' (
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
) * 1981: ''Full House: Aces High'' (AMJ) * 1994: ''Ride Again'' (ARA) * 1997: ''Out of the Blue'' (Breaker) * 1998: ''Chock Full of Country Goodness'' (ARA) * 1999: ''Live In Switzerland 1998'' (Blue Buffalo) * 2000: ''Absolutely Live'' (Icehouse)


With

Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'' starting in 1985 (season 10). In 1994 she won a Grammy Award fo ...

* 1982: ''
Poet in My Window ''Poet in My Window'' is the second studio album by the singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith, released in 1982. A reissue of the album included a bonus track, "Can't Love Wrong", in the unusual position as the album's lead-off track, preceding all of ...
'' (
Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
) * 1988: '' One Fair Summer Evening'' ( MCA) * 1988: ''
Little Love Affairs ''Little Love Affairs'' is Nanci Griffith's sixth studio album. It peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and topped the UK fortnightly country album chart for six weeks. It was also Griffith's first appearance on the main UK albu ...
'' (MCA) * 1989: ''
Storms A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...
'' (MCA) * 1991: ''
Late Night Grande Hotel ''Late Night Grande Hotel'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith. It was released in September 1991 by MCA Records. It was produced by Peter Van Hooke and Rod Argent, with a slightly more pop-oriented sound than pr ...
'' (MCA) * 1993: '' Other Voices, Other Rooms'' ( Elektra) * 1994: '' Flyer'' (Elektra) * 1997: Blue Roses from the Moons (Elektra) * 1998: ''
Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) ''Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful)'' was a 1998 album by Nanci Griffith. It was her thirteenth studio album. Following on from the Grammy Award winning album '' Other Voices, Other Rooms'', ''Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountif ...
'' (Elektra) * 1999: ''
The Dust Bowl Symphony ''The Dust Bowl Symphony'' is an album released by Nanci Griffith in 1999. It consists of songs Griffith had previously released on other albums, but re-recorded with an orchestral backing. The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with the Lo ...
'' (Elektra) * 2001: '' Clock Without Hands'' (Elektra) * 2002: '' Winter Marquee'' (
Rounder Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...
) * 2004: '' Hearts in Mind'' (New Door) * 2006: '' Ruby's Torch'' (Rounder)


As composer

* 1986:
Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his disti ...
- ''
Back in the High Life ''Back in the High Life'' is the fourth solo album by English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, released on 30 June 1986. The album proved to be Winwood's biggest success to that date, certified Gold in the UK and 3Ã ...
'' (Island) - track 3, "Freedom Overspill" (co-written with Steve Winwood and George Fleming) * 1992:
The Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymous wi ...
- '' An Irish Evening'' (
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
) - track 4, "Little Love Affairs" (co-written with Nanci Griffith) * 1992:
Evangeline ''Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'' is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in English and published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during t ...
- ''Evangeline'' (Margaritaville) - track 7, "Gulf Coast Highway" (co-written with Nanci Griffith and Danny Flowers) * 1995: 4 Runner - '' 4 Runner'' (Polygram) - track 10, "Southern Wind" (co-written with
Walt Aldridge James Walton Aldridge Jr. (born November 12, 1955 in Florence, Alabama) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, engineer and record producer. Aldridge is known primarily as a Nashville songwriter. He has written dozens of hit country songs ...
) * 1996: Kathleen Deighton - ''Intuition'' (FatCat) - track 12, "Gulf Coast Highway" * 2000: Danny Flowers - ''Forbidden Fruits and Vegetables'' (GrooveTone) - track 7, )"Gulf Coast Highway" * 2003:
Tom Russell Thomas George Russell (born 1947/1948) is an American singer-songwriter. Although most strongly identified with the Americana music tradition, his music also incorporates elements of folk, rock, and the cowboy music of the American West. Many ...
- ''Modern Art'' (Hightone / Shout!) - track 13, "Gulf Coast Highway"


Also appears on

* 1975:
Mac Davis Morris Mac Davis (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. A native of Lubbock, Texas, he enjoyed success as a crossover artist, and during his early career he wrote for Elvis Presley, ...
- ''All the Love in the World'' ( Columbia) * 1978: Russell Smith - ''Russell Smith'' (
Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...
) * 1978:
T. G. Sheppard William Neal Browder (born July 20, 1944) is an American country music singer-songwriter, known professionally as T. G. Sheppard. He had 14 number-one hits on the US country charts between 1974 and 1986, including eight consecutive number ones ...
- ''Daylight'' (Warner Bros. /
Curb A curb (North American English), or kerb (Commonwealth English except Canada; see spelling differences), is the edge where a raised sidewalk or road median/central reservation meets a street or other roadway. History Although curbs have ...
) * 1978: T. G. Sheppard - ''T.G.'' (Warner Bros.) * 1980:
Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...
- ''North South'' ( Bearsville) * 1984:
John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 â€“ 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums, and received frequent critical acclaim. ...
- ''
Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sapphir ...
'' (Island) * 1990:
John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded ...
- ''
Slow Turning ''Slow Turning'' is singer-songwriter John Hiatt's ninth album, released in 1988. It provided Hiatt's only significant radio hit with the title track. The single "Slow Turning" was also featured in the 2002 motion picture drama '' The Rookie'' wh ...
'' ( A&M) * 1990: Burrito Brothers / Flying Burrito Brothers - ''Back to Sweethearts of the Rodeo'' (Appaloosa) * 1993:
Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown is an American country music band. It was founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by Mark Miller (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard (keyboards, vocals), Bobby Randall (lead guitar, vocals), Joe "Curly" Smyth (drums), and ...
- '' Outskirts of Town'' (Curb / MCA) * 1996:
Ho-Hum Ho-Hum is a pop/rock band based in Bradley, Arkansas, United States, formed by the brothers Lenny and Rod Bryan. History The band was formed when Lenny and Rod Bryan, sports scholarship students, were attending Ouachita Baptist University dur ...
- ''Local'' (
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...
) * 1996: Burrito Brothers / Flying Burrito Brothers - ''Double Barrel'' (Magnum) * 1998: Gove Scrivenor - ''Shine On'' (
Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...
) * 2001: Jonell Mosser - ''Enough Rope'' (Siren Songs) * 2002: The Decoys - ''Shot from the Saddle'' (Muscle Shoals / Ace) * 2002:
Ian Gomm Ian Robert Gomm (born 28 March 1947 in Chiswick, West London) is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by ''NME'' in 1971. Early career Gomm's car ...
- ''Rock 'N' Roll Heart'' (Albion) * 2002: Russell Smith - ''The End Is Not in Sight'' (Muscle Shoals / Ace) * 2004:
Bernie Leadon Bernie Leadon (pronounced ''led-un''; born July 19, 1947) is an American singer, musician, songwriter and founding member of the Eagles, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Prior to the Eagles, he was a member ...
- ''Mirror'' (Really Small Entertainment)


References


James Hooker biography


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hooker, James 1948 births Living people People from Winnsboro, South Carolina American session musicians American rock keyboardists American male singer-songwriters American rock songwriters American rock singers American male organists American rock pianists American male pianists American funk keyboardists 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century organists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century American keyboardists The Blue Moon Orchestra members Singer-songwriters from South Carolina