Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr., December 18, 1933 – April 1, 2017) was an American blues singer and guitarist. Robert Palmer, a music expert, wrote in Rolling Stone that Brooks' music was witty, soulful, and full of energy. He used creative musical phrases, strong singing, and impressive guitar playing. Jon Pareles, a music critic for the New York Times, described Brooks as having a deep, strong voice that sang with a rough, sliding sound in songs about love and desire. His guitar solos were clear and steady, with a sound that stood out over the music. He often wore a cowboy hat, appearing like a classic blues performer. Howard Reich, a music critic for the Chicago Tribune, wrote that the powerful music from Brooks' instrument and voice filled the room. His sound was very loud and powerful, and his performance was intense, making everything else seem less important.

Career

Brooks was born in Dubuisson, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. He learned to play blues from his grandfather, who played the banjo. He did not consider a music career until he moved to Port Arthur, Texas, in the early 1950s. There, he heard live performances by musicians such as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, Long John Hunter, and others. This inspired him to think about making music his job. Clifton Chenier, a musician, heard Brooks playing guitar on his porch in Port Arthur and gave him a job in his touring band.

Brooks started his solo career and began calling himself Guitar Jr. He signed with Goldband Records, based in Lake Charles, Louisiana. His songs for Goldband included "Family Rules," a popular track in southern Louisiana and southeast Texas. Other songs from Goldband were "Made in the Shade" and "The Crawl," which were later recorded by the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

In 1960, Brooks moved to Chicago, Illinois. He changed his stage name to Lonnie Brooks because another musician was already using the name "Guitar Junior." In Chicago, he played regularly in clubs on the West Side, in Gary and East Chicago, Indiana, and sometimes in the Rush Street area on the North Side. He recorded many singles for labels like Chess, Chirrup, Mercury, Midas, and USA Records. His music received some local radio play. He also supported other artists, such as Jimmy Reed. In 1961, he played guitar on the double album Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall.

In 1969, Brooks recorded his first album, Broke an’ Hungry, for Capitol Records. The album was produced by Wayne Shuler, the son of Eddie Shuler, who had founded Goldband Records in Louisiana.

In 1974, Brooks joined a music tour in Europe and recorded an album, Sweet Home Chicago, for the French label Black & Blue. After returning to Chicago, he began playing regularly at Pepper’s Hideout on the South Side. There, he caught the attention of Bruce Iglauer, the head of Alligator Records, who had seen Brooks perform earlier at the Avenue Lounge on the West Side.

In 1978, Iglauer included four of Brooks’s songs, including three originals, in the collection Living Chicago Blues, released by Alligator. Brooks signed with Alligator Records and released his album Bayou Lightning the next year. The album won the Grand Prix du Disque Award at the 1980 Montreux Jazz Festival. During his time in Montreux, Brooks met country music star Roy Clark, who helped Brooks appear on the country music TV show Hee Haw.

After this, Brooks recorded only for Alligator Records. He released seven albums in his own name and appeared on shared recordings and compilations. His music style, sometimes called "voodoo blues," blended Chicago blues, Louisiana blues, swamp pop, and rhythm and blues. Other companies released earlier recordings and compilations of Brooks’s songs.

After Bayou Lightning was released, Brooks toured in the U.S. and returned to Europe. A 1982 trip to Germany led to a one-hour live performance on German television. His next album, Hot Shot, came out in 1983. His 1986 album, Wound Up Tight, featured Johnny Winter on guitar. Rolling Stone magazine wrote a six-page article about Brooks. In 1987, BBC Radio broadcast a one-hour live performance by Brooks. At this time, his teenage son, Ronnie Baker Brooks, began touring with a band. Ronnie made his recording debut on his father’s album Live from Chicago—Bayou Lightning Strikes.

Brooks’s 1991 album, Satisfaction Guaranteed, received widespread media coverage in publications like the Washington Post, Village Voice, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Guitar World, Living Blues, and Blues Revue.

In 1993, Brooks joined a national tour with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells, and Eric Johnson. During Eric Clapton’s "From the Cradle" tour in Chicago, Clapton invited Brooks to perform on stage at Buddy Guy’s Legends for an impromptu jam session.

In 1996, Brooks released Roadhouse Rules, produced in Memphis by Jim Gaines, who also worked with Luther Allison, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Santana. Ronnie Baker Brooks played on this album. In 1999, Brooks released Lone Star Shootout with Long John Hunter and Phillip Walker, two musicians he had known since the 1950s in Port Arthur.

Brooks continued touring in the U.S. and Europe. His sons, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Wayne Baker Brooks, are also full-time blues musicians who perform with their own bands. Wayne also played in his father’s band. The Brookses often perform together at each other’s shows and have appeared as the Brooks Family.

Besides his music, Brooks appeared in the films Blues Brothers 2000 and The Express: The Ernie Davis Story and in two UK television commercials for Heineken beer. His song "Eyeballin’" was used in the film Forever LuLu. "Got Lucky Last Night," featuring Johnny Winter, was used in the film Masters of Menace.

Brooks influenced the soul artist Reggie Sears.

Author

Brooks wrote the 1998 book Blues for Dummies with Wayne Baker and Cub Koda. Cub Koda is a music historian, guitarist, and songwriter. The book is still available to buy today.

Discography

• Broke and Hungry, by Guitar Jr. (Capitol, 1969)
• Sweet Home Chicago (Black & Blue, 1975; released again by Evidence, 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, by Guitar Jr. (Goldband singles collected and released again by Charly, 1984)
• Live at Pepper’s 1968 (Black Magic, 1985; released again 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) collection
• Lone Star Shootout, with Long John Hunter and Phillip Walker (Alligator, 1999)