Lazy Lester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lazy Lester
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Lester in 2004
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leslie Johnson |
| Born | June 20, 1933 Torras, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 22, 2018 (aged 85) Paradise, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Swamp blues, harmonica blues, Louisiana blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Harmonica, vocals, guitar |
| Associated acts | Lightnin' Slim |
Leslie Johnson (born June 20, 1933 – died August 22, 2018) was an American blues musician. He was much better known by his stage name, Lazy Lester. He was a talented singer who also played the harmonica and guitar.
Lester's music career lasted from the 1950s until 2018. He helped create a style of music called swamp blues. He also played harmonica blues, rhythm and blues, and Louisiana blues.
He was famous for songs recorded with Excello Records. These songs were popular in certain parts of the country. Lester also played on songs by other Excello artists. These included Slim Harpo, Lightnin' Slim, and Katie Webster. Many famous bands and singers later recorded their own versions of his songs. Some of these artists were The Kinks, The Flamin' Groovies, and Dwight Yoakam.
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Who Was Lazy Lester?
Leslie Johnson started playing the guitar when he was about 11 years old. As a teenager, he began performing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He played with Raful Neal and helped start a band called the Rhythm Rockers.
In the mid-1950s, Lester was part of the Louisiana blues music scene. A famous blues musician named Buddy Guy played with Lester before moving to Chicago. When Buddy Guy left in 1957, Lester took his place as the guitarist in a local band. At that time, Lester didn't even own his own guitar!
How He Got His Start
Lester's music career really took off by chance. He was on a bus with Lightnin' Slim, who was going to a recording session. The harmonica player who was supposed to be there didn't show up.
Lester told the producer, J. D. "Jay" Miller, that he could play the harmonica. Lester played so well that Miller decided to record him as a solo artist. Miller also asked Lester to play many instruments on other artists' songs. He played percussion, guitar, bass, and harmonica. For percussion, he sometimes used a rolled-up newspaper hitting a cardboard box!
Jay Miller gave him the nickname "Lazy Lester." This was because of his calm and relaxed style of playing and singing.
Famous Songs and Later Years
Lester is best remembered for songs that were later sung by many different artists. These included "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter," "I Hear You Knockin'," and "Sugar Coated Love." These songs were popular in rock music, country music, blues, and Tejano music.
Lester said he wrote these songs himself. However, most of them are officially credited to Jay Miller or to both Lester and Miller. Lester felt he didn't get paid fairly for his songs. This made him unhappy with the music business. By the late 1960s, he stopped playing music professionally. He worked regular jobs and spent his time fishing, which he loved. Later, Lester moved to Pontiac, Michigan.
His Comeback and Legacy
In 1971, Lester was asked to play at a folk festival in Chicago. He performed with Lightnin' Slim. After this, Lester went back to Louisiana. Years later, a friend helped Lester start playing music again.
Lester began recording new albums and performing around the world. He often played with blues bands like Loaded Dice. During this time, he released music on famous blues labels like Alligator Records and Telarc Records.
In 2002, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boston Blues Society. In 2003, the famous director Martin Scorsese included Lester in a blues concert. This concert was filmed and released as "Lightning in A Bottle." Lester was seen grinning in a group photo with many other blues legends.
Lester lived in Paradise, California. He appeared in a 2015 documentary film called I Am the Blues. He continued to perform until 2018. He often played in Louisiana with musicians like Lil' Buck Sinegal and Kenny Neal. In 2018, he even appeared in a TV commercial for Geico Insurance.
Lazy Lester died on August 22, 2018, at the age of 85. He passed away from cancer.
Lazy Lester's Music
Here are some of the albums Lazy Lester released:
- True Blues – 1967
- Lazy Lester Rides Again – 1987
- Harp & Soul – 1988
- Lazy Lester – 1989 (songs from the 1960s)
- I'm a Lover Not a Fighter – 1994
- I Hear You Knockin' – 1994
- All Over You – 1998
- Lazy Lester – 2000
- Superharps II – 2001 (with other harmonica players)
- Blues Stop Knockin' – 2001
- Blues On My Radio – 2004
- Family Meeting – 2008
- One More Once – 2010
- You Better Listen – 2011
- "New Orleans" (on Big Mo's album Torn) – 2011
See Also
- The Southern Legends Entertainment & Performing Arts Hall of Fame
- San Francisco Blues Festival
- List of swamp blues musicians
- List of harmonica blues musicians
- List of harmonicists
- Music of Louisiana
- Blues harp
