Lonnie Brooks

Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr., December 18, 1933 – April 1, 2017) Jon Pareles, a music critic for the New York Times, wrote, "He sings in a rowdy baritone, sliding and rasping in songs that celebrate lust, fulfilled and unfulfilled; his guitar solos are pointed and unhurried, with a tone that slices cleanly across the beat. Wearing a cowboy hat, he looks like the embodiment of a good-time bluesman." Howard Reich, a music critic for the Chicago Tribune, wrote, "...the music that thundered from Brooks' instrument and voice...shook the room. His sound was so huge and delivery so ferocious as to make everything alongside him seem a little smaller." His singles for the label included the regional hit "Family Rules", which remains a favorite of the swamp pop idiom in southern Louisiana and southeast Texas. Other Goldband singles included "Made in the Shade" and "The Crawl" (both of which were later recorded by the Fabulous Thunderbirds). Brooks found regular work in clubs on the West Side of Chicago, in nearby Gary and East Chicago, Indiana, and occasionally in the Rush Street entertainment area on Chicago's North Side. He recorded numerous singles for various labels, including Chess, Chirrup, Mercury, Midas and USA Records, receiving some local radio airplay. The album won the Grand Prix du Disque Award from the 1980 Montreux Jazz Festival. While in Montreux, Brooks befriended the country music star Roy Clark, who arranged for him to appear on the country music television program Hee Haw.

After that time, Brooks recorded exclusively for Alligator, releasing seven albums in his own name and contributing to shared recordings and compilation appearances.

Brooks continued to tour in the United States and Europe. His sons, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Wayne Baker Brooks, are also full-time blues musicians, fronting their own bands and touring extensively in the United States and abroad. Wayne Baker Brooks also played in his father's band. The Brookses are frequent guest performers at each other's shows and have booked appearances as the Brooks Family.

Besides his live and recorded performances, Brooks appeared in the films Blues Brothers 2000 and The Express: The Ernie Davis Story and in two UK television commercials for Heineken beer. His song "Eyeballin'" was used in the film Forever LuLu. "Got Lucky Last Night", featuring Johnny Winter, was used in the film Masters of Menace.

Brooks was an influence on the soul artist Reggie Sears.

Death Brooks died in Chicago, Illinois, United States, on April 1, 2017, at the age of 83. , it is still in print.

Discography Broke an' Hungry, as Guitar Jr. (Capitol, 1969) Sweet Home Chicago (Black & Blue, 1975; reissued by Evidence, 1994) Living Chicago Blues, Vol. 3 (Alligator, 1978) Bayou Lightning (Alligator, 1979) Blues Deluxe (Alligator/WXRT, 1980) Turn On the Night (Alligator, 1981) Hot Shot (Alligator, 1983) The Crawl, as Guitar Jr. (Goldband singles collected/reissued by Charly, 1984) Live at Pepper’s 1968 (Black Magic, 1985; reissued by Black Top, 1996) Wound Up Tight (Alligator, 1986) Live from Chicago: Bayou Lightning Strikes (Alligator, 1988) Satisfaction Guaranteed (Alligator, 1991) Let’s Talk It Over (1977 sessions released by Delmark, 1993) Roadhouse Rules (Alligator, 1996) Deluxe Edition (Alligator, 1997) compilation Lone Star Shootout, with Long John Hunter and Phillip Walker (Alligator, 1999)