He is a pianist born James Hugh Brown Jr. in Winnsboro, South Carolina, who was no as James Brown from 1962 to 1975 and changed it to James Hooker in 1975.
He worked nightclubs while still at high school, and once he had left he moved to Charleston and then Charlotte. In 1968 he moved to Memphis where he became a member of the HI Rhythm Section that worked with artists that include Ace Cannon and Bill Black’s Combo. He went on the road with Al Green and Eddie Floyd and then recorded with Jimi Hendrix in 1970. He performed on all of Al Green’s albums up until “Belle”.
He went to work for Rick Hall at FAME in 1971 and started to write songs. In 1975 he became a member of Amazing Rhythm Aces which initially split up in 1981. In 1983 he joined Steve Winwood on his European tour and then again 1986 for the Back in the High Life tour. In 1987 he joined Nanci Griffith’s Band and was her bandleader from then until 2007 when he retired from touring. He also returned to Amazing Rhythm Aces for the period 1994-1999.
Continuing to record and write he has shared is time between Mallorca, Spain, and Co. Tipperary in Ireland.
Amazing Rhythm Aces recordings
Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette) (Noomi Neville)
Mystery Train (Sam Phillips/Herman Parker)
Third Rate Romance (Howard Russell Smith)
Two Can Do It Too (Howard Russell Smith)
Here he is duetting with Nanci Griffith on “Gulf Coast Highway”…
Sources:
- http://jameshooker.net/about.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Rhythm_Aces
- www.615songs.com/bio.htm
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/476072-James-Hooker
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-hooker-mn0000122904/credits