Joe Hill Louis facts for kids

Joe Hill Louis (born Lester Hill on September 23, 1921 – died August 5, 1957) was an amazing American musician. He was a talented singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. What made him special was that he often performed as a one-man band! This meant he played several instruments all by himself at the same time. Joe Hill Louis was one of the few one-man blues bands who recorded music in the 1950s. He also played guitar for other artists at Sun Records.

Life and Music Career

Early Life and Start in Music

Joe Hill Louis was born Lester Hill on September 23, 1921, in Raines, Tennessee. He got his nickname "Joe Louis" after a childhood fight. When he was 14, he left home and started working in Memphis, Tennessee. He also worked at the famous Peabody Hotel in the late 1930s. From the early 1940s, he began his career as a musician. He became known for his incredible one-man band performances.

Recording His Music

Joe Hill Louis started recording his music in 1949 with Columbia Records. Over the 1950s, his songs were released on many different record labels. These included Modern, Checker, and Meteor. He recorded a lot of music for Sam Phillips's Sun Records. He played as a backing musician for many other singers there. He also recorded his own songs.

His most famous electric blues song was "Boogie in the Park." He recorded it in July 1950. In this song, Louis played a very loud and powerful electric guitar. He also played a simple drum kit at the same time! This song was the only record released on Sam Phillips's early Phillips label. Phillips later started the famous Sun Records. Some people even say Louis's electric guitar playing helped inspire heavy metal music.

Radio and Other Songs

Joe Hill Louis also played guitar on Rufus Thomas's song "Bear Cat." This song was an "answer record" to "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton. "Bear Cat" became very popular, reaching number 3 on the R&B music charts. Louis also helped write the song "Tiger Man." Many artists have recorded this song, including Rufus Thomas and Elvis Presley.

Around 1950, Joe Hill Louis took over a radio show called Pepticon Boy on WDIA radio. Before him, B.B. King hosted the show. Because of this, Louis was also known as "The Pepticon Boy." He was sometimes called "The Be-Bop Boy" too. In 1953, he recorded music under another name, "Chicago Sunny Boy."

His Later Years

Joe Hill Louis passed away on August 5, 1957. He was 35 years old. He died in a hospital in Memphis from an infection. This infection came from a small cut on his thumb. He got the cut while working odd jobs.