Night of the Hunter

Late bloomers hold a special place in our hearts. They represent perseverance, new directions, and second acts. Such is the story of Long John Hunter, a Texas bluesman who didn’t “make it” until he was 66 years old, when Alligator Records turned him into a star -- outside of the...

By Jay Bennett

March 20, 2008

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Late bloomers hold a special place in our hearts. They represent perseverance, new directions, and second acts. Such is the story of Long John Hunter, a Texas bluesman who didn’t “make it” until he was 66 years old, when Alligator Records turned him into a star -- outside of the West Texas scene he had dominated for nearly 30 years -- in 1996.

Like any good bluesman with almost five decades in the game, the guitarist harbors a few good legends -- like the one about how murdered hitmaker Bobby Fuller (“I Fought the Law”) was Hunter’s protégé. Or the one in which a young Buddy Holly would sneak over the border into Juárez, Mexico, to see Hunter play. Don’t matter if the tales are tall or not. It’s all part of the blues.

Sat., March 22, 8:30 p.m., 2008

Jay Bennett

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