Sam "Lightnin’" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 — January 30, 1982) was a country blues guitarist, from Houston, Texas, United States.
Hopkins' style was born from spending many hours playing informally without a backing band. His distinctive fingerstyle playing often included playing, in effect, bass, rhythm, lead, percussion, and vocals, all at the same time. He played both "alternating" and "monotonic" bass styles incorporating imaginative, often chromatic turnarounds and single note lead lines. Tapping or slapping the body of his guitar added rhythmic accompaniment.
Hopkins was an influence on local musicians around Houston and Austin, Texas in the 1950s and 1960s. His recordings from the early 1960s reveal a lead guitar style that anticipated the popular blues based rock guitar of the later 1960s. Jimi Hendrix reportedly became interested in blues music listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins records with his father. Stevie Ray Vaughan's Grammy Award-nominated instrumental "Rude Mood" was described in the words of the legend himself as "a take-off from a Lightnin' Hopkins riff". He was an influence on Jimmie Vaughan's work and on the vocals and blues style of Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, the keyboardist of the Grateful Dead until 1972. He was also an important influence on Townes Van Zandt, the Texan folk/blues songwriter and performer, who often performed Hopkins numbers in his live concerts. Doyle Bramhall II is another Texas artist who was influenced by Hopkins, as evidenced by a tattoo of Hopkins on his upper left arm.
Lightnin' Hopkins.1960- Lightnin'
Lightnin' Hopkins.1960- Mojo Hand
Lightnin' Hopkins.1962- How Many More Years I Got
Lightnin' Hopkins.1962- Lightnin' And Co
Lightnin' Hopkins.1963- Goin' Away
Lightnin' Hopkins.1968- Talkin' Some Sense
Lightnin' Hopkins.1969- Houston & Shreveport Sessions '63 To '69
Lightnin' Hopkins.1972- It's A Sin To Be Rich
Lightnin' Hopkins.1973- The Blues Giant
Lightnin' Hopkins.1984- Live At The Bird Louge
Lightnin' Hopkins.1989- Double Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins.1995- Los Angeles Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins.1996- Country Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins.2002- In The Key Of Lightnin'
Lightnin' Hopkins.2019- Indian Spirit
Lightnin' Hopkins.2002- Live at Newport
