Lonnie Brooks Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lonnie Brooks
Lonnie Brooks, in France, December 1975
Background information
Birth name	Lee Baker, Jr.
Born	(1933-12-18)December 18, 1933 Dubuisson, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	April 1, 2017(2017-04-01) (aged 83) Chicago, Illinois
Genres	Chicago blues, electric blues
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer
Instruments	Vocals, electric guitar
Years active	1953–2017
Labels	Alligator, Delmark, Evidence, Goldband, Capitol, Black & Blue, Black Top
Associated acts	Ronnie Baker Brooks, Wayne Baker Brooks, Eddy Clearwater

Lonnie Brooks was a famous American blues singer and guitarist. He was born Lee Baker Jr. on December 18, 1933. Lonnie Brooks was known for his energetic music and amazing guitar playing. He passed away on April 1, 2017, at the age of 83.

Music critics often praised his unique style. They said his music was clever and full of soul. His guitar solos were clear and powerful. He was a true "good-time bluesman" who loved to perform.

Lonnie Brooks' Music Career
Death
Author
Discography
See also

Lonnie Brooks' Music Career

Lonnie Brooks was born in a place called Dubuisson, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. He learned to play the blues from his grandfather, who played the banjo. At first, he didn't think about music as a job.

Starting in Texas

In the early 1950s, Lonnie moved to Port Arthur, Texas. There, he heard many great blues musicians play live. Artists like B.B. King and T-Bone Walker inspired him. This made him think about making money from music.

A famous musician named Clifton Chenier heard Lonnie playing his guitar. He offered Lonnie a job in his touring band. This was Lonnie's first step into a music career.

Becoming Guitar Jr.

Lonnie started his own music career and called himself Guitar Jr.. He signed with a record company called Goldband. This company was in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

He released several songs as Guitar Jr. One popular song was "Family Rules." It became a favorite in swamp pop music. Other songs like "Made in the Shade" and "The Crawl" were also well-known. Later, the band The Fabulous Thunderbirds recorded these songs too.

Moving to Chicago

In 1960, Lonnie moved to Chicago, Illinois. He changed his stage name to Lonnie Brooks. Another musician was already using the name Guitar Junior there.

Lonnie found steady work playing in clubs around Chicago. He also played in nearby cities like Gary and East Chicago, Indiana. He recorded many songs for different record labels. These songs sometimes played on local radio stations. He also played guitar for other artists, including Jimmy Reed. In 1961, he played on Jimmy Reed's album Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall.

First Albums and Big Breaks

In 1969, Lonnie recorded his first album, Broke an’ Hungry. It was released by Capitol Records.

In 1974, Lonnie toured Europe with other artists. He recorded an album called Sweet Home Chicago in France. When he came back to Chicago, he started playing regularly at Pepper’s Hideout. There, he caught the attention of Bruce Iglauer. Bruce was the head of a new record company called Alligator Records.

In 1978, Alligator Records included four of Lonnie's songs in their Living Chicago Blues collection. Lonnie then signed a contract with Alligator. His album Bayou Lightning came out the next year. This album won a special award from the 1980 Montreux Jazz Festival. At the festival, Lonnie met country music star Roy Clark. Roy helped Lonnie appear on the TV show Hee Haw.

Later Career and Family

After Bayou Lightning, Lonnie Brooks started touring more in the U.S. and Europe. He even had a live performance on German television in 1982. His next album, Hot Shot, came out in 1983.

His 1986 album, Wound Up Tight, featured the famous guitarist Johnny Winter. Lonnie's teenage son, Ronnie Baker Brooks, also started touring with his band. Ronnie made his first recording on his father's album Live from Chicago—Bayou Lightning Strikes.

Lonnie's 1991 album, Satisfaction Guaranteed, got a lot of attention. Many newspapers and magazines wrote about it. In 1993, Lonnie toured with other blues legends like B.B. King and Buddy Guy. Eric Clapton even invited Lonnie to play with him on stage in Chicago.

In 1996, Lonnie released Roadhouse Rules. His son Ronnie Baker Brooks also played on this album. In 1999, Lonnie teamed up with two other blues musicians, Long John Hunter and Phillip Walker. They released an album together called Lone Star Shootout.

Lonnie continued to tour in the United States and Europe. His sons, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Wayne Baker Brooks, are also full-time blues musicians. They often perform together as the Brooks Family.

Besides his music, Lonnie Brooks also appeared in movies. These included Blues Brothers 2000 and The Express: The Ernie Davis Story. His songs were also used in films and TV commercials.

Death

Lonnie Brooks passed away in Chicago, Illinois, on April 1, 2017. He was 83 years old.

Author

Lonnie Brooks helped write a book called Blues for Dummies in 1998. He wrote it with his son Wayne Baker Brooks and music expert Cub Koda. The book is still available today.

Discography

Broke an' Hungry, as Guitar Jr. (Capitol, 1969)
Sweet Home Chicago (Black & Blue, 1975; reissued by Evidence Records, 1994)
Living Chicago Blues, vol. 3 (Alligator, 1978)
Bayou Lightning (Alligator, 1979)
Blues Deluxe (Alligator/WXRT, 1980)
Turn On the Night (Alligator, 1981)
Hot Shot (Alligator, 1983)
The Crawl, as Guitar Jr. (Goldband singles reissued by Charly, 1984)
Live at Pepper’s 1968 (Black Magic, 1985; reissued by Black Top, 1996)
Wound Up Tight (Alligator, 1986)
Live from Chicago: Bayou Lightning Strikes (Alligator, 1988)
Satisfaction Guaranteed (Alligator, 1991)
Let’s Talk It Over (1977 sessions released by Delmark, 1993)
Roadhouse Rules (Alligator, 1996)
Deluxe Edition (Alligator, 1997)
Lone Star Shootout, with Long John Hunter and Phillip Walker (Alligator, 1999)

Lonnie Brooks facts for kids

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