Page 28 - BiTS_06_JUNE_2025_Neat

Two forgotten(?) guitar greats…

by

John Holmes

There are many fine guitar players who have achieved fame and fortune (BB King,

Eric Clapton amongst many others), those who are equally good but prefer to stay
in the background (eg. Derek O’Brien), and those lauded by their contemporaries for
their abilities and their influence, but whose names don’t generally appear in the

roster of ‘greats’ - often because they simply did not live long enough to cement their
career. I would suggest that Guitar Slim and Earl Hooker are two who fall into that
category. Both were highly respected during their careers, and undoubtedly
influenced younger guitar players who came to greater prominence than they

managed to themselves.

Guitar Slim

Let’s start with Eddie ‘Guitar Slim’ Jones,

who was the older by just over 2 years.
He was born on December 10th 1926, in
either Hollandale or Greenwood,

Mississippi - the latter seems the most
likely option. His Father deserted the
family when young Edward was just a
toddler, and his Mother died when he was

only 5 years old - a devastating start in
life.

He was brought up by his Grandmother
on his Mother’s side, Molly Edwards, who
lived on L. C. Haves plantation outside

Hollandale. From a young age he learned
to work the fields and plow behind a
mule, but a farming life was not for him.
He preferred to frequent the music clubs

of the area, most notably the Harlem
Club, where he gained a reputation as a
sensational dancer, and nicknames such as ‘Limber Leg Eddie’ and ‘Rubber Legs’!

Eddie was called up for WW2 service, although it is not known in what capacity he
served, and after the war he was recruited by Delta bluesman Willie D. Warren and
Little Bill Wallace to perform around Arkansas and Louisiana. Initially this was as a

vocalist and dancer - he had an uncanny ability to mimic the singers of the day, such
as Louis Jordan. At the same time he was perfecting his abilities as a guitar player,
and in 1950, after around 2 years of working with Messrs. Warren and Wallace