The illiterate Delta legend who taught the Rolling Stones how to feel.
John Lee Hooker was one of the greatest bluesmen of the 20th century. Born into poverty and racial segregation, he lived through a monumental time in American history. This is the story of a cultural icon, and his far-reaching impact on popular music, told in his own words and those of his family and closest collaborators. Interviews with Keith Richards, Van Morrison, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt and Robert Cray tell how an illiterate man from the rural and impoverished backwaters of the Mississippi Delta influenced their own musical journey. We reveal his part in bringing the Blues to a new generation of young British musicians and how, in turn, those musicians introduced young, mainstream Americans to their own cultural heritage.
Acting
Hooker's own interviews — charisma that needs no script.
Production
Rare archival footage of Delta juke joints.
Director
Todd Austin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'British Invasion' was essentially white English kids reverse-colonizing American Black music back to its homeland.
Hooker's trademark boogie rhythm — one chord, endless variation — was technically 'wrong' by music theory standards. It was also unstoppable.
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