Lazy Lester

Leslie Johnson (June 20, 1933 – August 22, 2018), known as Lazy Lester, was an American blues musician who sang and played the harmonica and guitar. In a career spanning the 1950s to 2018, he pioneered swamp blues, and also played harmonica blues, rhythm and blues and Louisiana blues. started playing the guitar around age 11 and began performing in his teens around Baton Rouge with Raful Neal, later co-founding the Rhythm Rockers. In the mid-1950s, Lester was on the margins of the Louisiana blues scene. According to Rolling Stone (February 2006), Buddy Guy, before moving to Chicago, had played in Louisiana with some of the old masters: Lightnin' Hopkins, Lazy Lester, and Slim Harpo. When Guy left for Chicago, in 1957, Lester replaced him, on guitar, in a local band – even though Lester, at that time, did not own such an instrument.

Lester's career took off when he found a seat next to Lightnin' Slim on a bus transporting Slim to an Excello recording session. At the studio, the scheduled harmonica player did not appear. Slim and Lester spent the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to find him, when Lester volunteered that he could play the harmonica. Lester's work on that first Lightnin' Slim session led the producer, Jay Miller, to record Lester as solo artist and also to use him as a multi-instrumentalist on percussion, guitar, bass, and harmonica in sessions headlined by other artists whose recordings were produced by Miller, including, notably, Slim Harpo. 'Percussion' on these sessions went beyond the traditional drum kit and included a rolled-up newspaper striking a cardboard box. Miller dubbed Lester "Lazy Lester" because of his laconic, laid-back style. and appeared in the 2015 documentary film I Am the Blues.

Lester continued to perform nationally and abroad into 2018, often returning to Louisiana where he regularly shared the stage with Lil' Buck Sinegal, Carol Fran, and Kenny Neal. In the same year, he appeared and performed in a television commercial aired nationally for Geico Insurance.

Lester died of cancer on August 22, 2018, at the age of 85.

Selected discography True Blues – 1967, Excello Lazy Lester Rides Again – 1987, King Snake Harp & Soul – 1988, Alligator (featuring Lucky Peterson, Kenny Neal) Lazy Lester – 1989, Flyright (previously unreleased Excello session takes from the 1960's) I'm a Lover Not a Fighter – 1994, Ace Records I Hear You Knockin': Best of the Excello Singles – 1994, Excello/AVI Records All Over You – 1998, Antone's (recorded 1997; featuring Derek O'Brien, Sue Foley, Sarah Brown, Mike Buck) Lazy Lester – 2000, APO (6-song audiophile 12" EP; recorded October 12–13; featuring Henry Gray, Jimmy D. Lane) Superharps II – 2001, Telarc (co-billed with Carey Bell, Raful Neal, Snooky Pryor) Blues Stop Knockin' – 2001, Antone's (featuring Jimmie Vaughan) Blues On My Radio – 2004, SWMAF (featuring Louisiana Red) Blues Harp Meltdown Vol. 3: Legends – 2004 (co-billed with Mark Hummel, Carey Bell, Cephas & Wiggins) (Mountain Top Records) Family Meeting – 2008, Ruf – double album by Wentus Blues Band One More Once – 2010, Karonte/Cambaya (produced by Mike Vernon) You Better Listen – 2011, Bluestown (recorded in Notodden, Norway) "New Orleans" – 2011, (featuring Maurice 'Big Mo' Huffman) on Huffman's album Torn