Smokey Hogg

Born Andrew Hogg on 27 January 1914 in Westconnie, Texas, the future blues performer died on 1 May 1960 in McKinney, Texas. Raised in north-east Texas, he belonged to a family that also produced the blues singers Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Hogg. His father, Frank, taught him both guitar and piano at an early age. One of seven children, he viewed music as an escape from agricultural work. He performed in Dallas and Greenville, where audiences knew him as Little Peetie Wheatstraw in tribute to his idol. Club work brought him into contact with B.K. Turner, billed as Black Aces, and D.C. Bender.

Two sides cut for Decca Records in 1937 later became collector items, yet they failed to register with contemporary blues listeners. Drafted during World War II, he served in the US Army. By 1947 he had reached Los Angeles and cut material for the Exclusive label, again without commercial result. A return to Texas produced the 1947 Modern Records release “Too Many Drivers,” which opened the door to wider recognition. Still with Modern but now back in Los Angeles, he scored his greatest success with “Little School Girl.” From that point he moved among Specialty, Imperial, SIW, Mercury and assorted smaller imprints. Older listeners sustained his career through the first wave of rock ’n’ roll. His rural blues, typically backed by a compact ensemble often featuring saxophone and issued on both Texas and West Coast labels, found steady favor with Black audiences, even as critics and collectors remained sharply divided over the music’s lasting value.