Hop Wilson

Harding "Hop" Wilson (April 27, 1921 – August 27, 1975) was an American Texas blues steel guitar player. Wilson gained the nickname "Hop" as a devolution of "Harp" due to his constant playing of a harmonica as a child. His low sounding playing gave several of his tracks, even "Merry Christmas Darling", a morose, disillusioned feel. learning to play guitar and harmonica at an early age. Wilson performed at various Houston clubs.

In 1960, Wilson signed with Ivory Records in Houston.

Peter Green, founder of Fleetwood Mac, interviewed in 2007 discussing his favourite blues artists, stated "then there's Hop Wilson, a slide guitar player from Houston who used a twin-neck lap steel. He recorded a couple of singles calling himself Pap Hop and wrote the song "Black Cat Bone". I love his album Texas Steel Guitar Flash."

Wilson's song "My Woman Has A Black Cat Bone" was recorded by Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland and Robert Cray as "Black Cat Bone" on their 1985 combined release Showdown!, released through Alligator Records. Their recording features a spoken introduction where Copeland and Collins discussed Wilson started by Copeland as follows:

"Black Cat Bone" has since become a popular blues standard, and has been recorded by numerous contemporary blues artists including Matt Schofield, The Nimmo Brothers and Philipp Fankhauser.

Discography Blues With Friends At Goldband (Goldband LP: 1981) Steel Guitar Flash! (Ace LP: 1988; Ace CD: 1994)