Hopkins, Sam Lightnin'

After wandering the South, Hopkins settled in Houston in the mid-1940s. In 1946 he and pianist Wilson Smith travelled to Los Angeles to record for Aladdin, and a record company employee nicknamed them “Thunder” and “Lightnin’.” Hopkins' Los Angeles singles were hits, and soon he was recording for Houston's Gold Star label. Over the next eight years he recorded more than 200 titles for many labels, forgoing the security of a long-term contract in exchange...