May 6, 2025 • 37 mins
This week, Theo speaks with the legendary John Lee Hooker Jr. about his time being unhoused, the misconceptions media has around the unhoused, and how he found his way through addiction. Also, a moment to celebrate We the Unhoused's two Webby Award wins!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Previously on Winnian House.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
And that other piece that was really shocking to me
was around children experienced almost us in the UK. There's
just sort of a very different approach to it. I
knew that if somebody came to the day center that
I worked at, and if they had a child under
eighteen with them, I immediately needed to call city Hall
(00:25):
as it would be here and I needed to let.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Them know that this is the case.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
The onus was on them to provide albeit a temporary roof,
but to provide that for that family. So it was
really shocking to me to come to America to realize
that children could be, you know, sleeping outside, children could
be sleeping in cars, as that just wasn't something that
you really ran across in the UK.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Welcome back to Whitian House. I'm your host, Theo Henderson.
This week, we're speaking with John Lee Hooker Junior, who
talks about the ups and downs of houselessness and other
challenges he's faced. But first gun House News. Our first
(01:22):
story begins in Chatsworth, California. City Council members voted to
extend forty one eighteen to Chatsworth intersections and bridges. The
council vote was eleven to two. The two opposing voters
were Nitya Rabin and Hugo Soto Martinez. Council member John Lee,
(01:42):
a notorious antagonist against the un housed, brought forth the resolution.
He claims forty one eighteen is effective for rooting out
people with substance usage. From twenty twenty one through twenty
twenty four, there were about four three hundred and sixty
arrest under forty one eighteen. Council member Tracy Park had
(02:05):
seven hundred forty one eighteen arrests, followed by Unices Hernandez
with five hundred and fifteen forty one eighteen arrests. A
secret internal member has proven forty one eighteen is not
effective and keeping encamp is clear and getting unhoused people housed.
(02:27):
Our second story takes us to Tennessee. Three years have
passed since it's been a felony to be unhoused and
camp on public land in that state.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Now lawmakers are adding more penalties.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Currently, the E class felony comes with a penalty of
six years in prison and a three thousand dollars five
for being unhoused. The new law also expedized clearing encampments
under highways or bridges. A cleaning must take place within
thirty days of a resident complaint. Of Tennessee's unhouse population,
(03:08):
which is about eight thousand people live in Nashville. A
group of these Nashvillians were recently given a sixty day
eviction notice to leave the area with no offer of
services or resources. Senator Brent Taylor, a Memphis Republican, is
responsible for crafting these bills.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And that's unhoused news.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
When we come back, we'll be speaking with our guest,
John Lee Hooker Jernis.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Welcome back to Weedian House. I'm THEO Henderson.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Before we get into the interview with John Lee Hooker Junior,
I wanted to spend time sharing some exciting news. First,
I want to thank the overwhelming acts of kindness and
support in voting for me to win the twenty twenty
five People's Voice Award Webbing. Not only have I won
the award, I won another webby given by the judges,
(04:12):
but the thank you using this award showed you're asks to.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Share five words of thanks.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I can't even go around the world showering five seconds,
so is it impossible for me to do the same
and thanking people that have been part of the Whedian
House journey. When I started Whedian Howse, I was living
on the streets for over eight years. Little did I
know how the show would impact my life and the
lives of my listeners all over the world. I did
(04:38):
not have the sophisticated equipment that I'm fortunate to use
with iHeartMedia now. I was stuck with a broken phone,
duct tape production and a lot of a domino wheel
to get this off the ground. It is an interesting
challenge creating a show and keeping the topics current and
the stories real in the best of circumstances. If you
(04:59):
listen to in my earlier episodes, you'll hear ambulances going by,
broken pauses, traffic, background noise, and lost trains of thought
due to the surrounding activity while getting the realness and
authenticity of my unhoused neighbors and friends.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Somehow, I prevailed.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
And was doing audio and video of William House at
a frenetic pace to fuel a growing need in the
world of houselessness. I was fortunate along the way to
receive help from Mukta Mohan, who referred me to an
extraordinary producer by the name of Carla Green, followed by
(05:39):
the recommendation of another producer, Hailey Faker, followed by my
travel videographer Carlos Nieto the third. This went on until
my extended team expanded with executive producer Jamie Loftus once
again Hailey Faker, Joel Jerome, Adam wand Katie Fischer Lyra Smith.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And that's been not least Jack O'Brien.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
If I had forgotten or admitted someone along the way,
please charge it to my head and not my heart.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
One more thank.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
You is to my listeners and the people who were
gracious enough to trust me with their stories, from one
time guests to returning guests, will helped me sustain Weedian House.
This show has brought up a wonderful question. Where does
Weedy and Howes go from here? The future is still unwritten,
(06:34):
but let us meet in the light of understanding reaching
it and now our conversation with John Lee Hooker. To you,
I will say you favorite John Lee Hooker. I hope,
so I would just say you kn't denied. You know
(06:54):
He's got you all over here. So I willing to
ask you a question. So, how is Germany compared to
you as you like it.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
I love it, man. No donuts in the middle in.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
The streets, nobody blocking you, No gunshot, oh of course not.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Uh No, nobody on the corner drank of wine.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
Nobody called and you big pippen and and mean mugging you.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
And it's just quiet. I'm the only brother here, dang.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Only only raising in the milk. Huh.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I like that, only raising in the milk, right.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
But I'm being treated treated uh very well, very well,
preaching uh in the big churches around in Germany and
singing and uh visiting the prisons. Uh. And I don't
speak fluent German, but I speak a little and what
(07:54):
I don't know, I write them on the script. And
my wife is German and she make sure everything is
all right. And that's what I do.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Man.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
But I'm very happy here. We bought a home here
and the property, so yeah, I'm here until God call
me on.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
All right, all right, all right, so right, So I'm
just going to give you just a general overview about
my show and explain who I am. My name is THEO,
and I created a show. I have been living on
the streets for over eight years. I've lived in cars,
I've lived on a fire escape, I ate out of
trash cans. I did it all. And what was eye
(08:35):
opening for me was because I had this negative viewpoint
of people living on the street that they were all
mentally ill and on substances until Carmen knocked on the door.
I am a college educated teacher and I had a
medical emergency and I had to be hospitalized for several months,
and I see you. I had to go through speech therapy,
(08:57):
I had to go through physical therapy. I had to
do all of it without a wife, without any children,
and without any immediate family. And as you probably know,
in America, teachers are not paid well at all, So
you know, we are definitely living on a very constricted
income paycheck to paycheck, and that paycheck started dwindled if
I'm not coming going in for my assignments to work
(09:18):
because I have to recuperate. And so it was that
it became like my classmates and my colleagues were kind
enough to let me stay at the place to try to,
you know, recover, because I lost my home and I
couldn't even even if I had the home, I couldn't
really stay because I had to have someone to take
care of me and look after me. I had to
stay on the medication regimen and make sure I go
(09:38):
to the appointments and all of that. And so eventually
I would bounce back from other places and doing couch commitments,
and then I got into some like maybe three star hotels.
Then it came down to two star hotels. Then it
came to fleabag hotels. And then I had started getting
real estate in the cardboard condominium duplexes out here, you know,
(09:59):
stay out on the show street, renting cardboards. So my
education opened my eyes to the realities because I wasn't
a misnomer. I wasn't an anomaly. There were a lot
of people I ran across that had had sustained jobs
and then situations happened to him. The gentleman that really
struck me was him and his wife were working and
(10:21):
living in this apartment building and his wife got brain cancer,
and he put all of his money and his life
savings and trying to keep her alive. Unfortunately she passed
away and she couldn't sustain the building, and then he
started sleeping outside the building he used to work at. So,
you know, these stories left an inevitable imprint on my mind,
and I wanted to have something that pushed back and
(10:44):
give people that make those snap judgments like I did,
a form or a platform for they can to talk
about their experiences and to say, you know, houselessness is
not a mono left Not everybody is.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
And I'm not knocking if.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
People are going substances, there's reasons behind that as well,
or having mental health issues or but there's also people
that are fleeing domestic abuse. There's also children that's in
foster care that ages out and living on the streets,
no follow their own they don't have no family, no
support system, So these things are not always talked about.
The first thing that people need jerkly reaction is is
like a personal failing. So when I created this, I
(11:21):
was literally living on the street creating this show, getting
interviews from people that my friends and other places until
I got partnered with iHeartRadio and now here I am
through the graces of the creator and God, and I'm
really really unfortunate, but I'm really trying to pay it
forward and getting people's stories and to talk about the
(11:42):
experiences of houselessness and to see what, if anything that
could be able to educate to liberate and motivate people
that are listening to the show, as well as to
inspire people to have more compassionate empathy.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
For people on the streets. Yes, yes, so let's take
it from the top.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Tell us a little bit about yourself, and I will
jump in every now and again to pepper you with
some questions.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yeah, well, myire well, I wouldn't even say my entire story,
but a synopsis of my life story is in my
book that we wrote released February fourth.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
What's the name of the title for our audience to note,
what's the name of.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
A good idea? The story.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
The name of the book is called From the Shadow
of the Blues, My Story of Music, Addiction and Redemption. Okay, yes,
and it was written by me, of course, and I
had a co writer by the name of Professor Julia Simon,
who's an author of five books. Oh, okay, And again,
(12:49):
my story is in that book, and it's a hard,
gut rich outo biography of what my life was about
growing up under the shadow of one of the greatest
blues singers and guitar players of all time. Of course,
my dad, mister John Lee Hooker born in Detroit, Michigan,
(13:13):
three hundred miles from Chicago.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
I will hope that a guessti.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
And just grew up under his music, under his influence.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
I'm from Motown, grew up nor I met Stevie Wonder
when we were both twelve years old, did some music
myself with my dad when I was about eight years
old on radio, sung on a few of his shows
as a little kid, and just loved how he made
(13:45):
the audiences and people smile and dance. And our house
was a house where people congregated at because there was
always music down in the basement, with the likes of
long haired people with fun the accents and television cameras,
and watching my dad take the bus along with mister
(14:06):
Poward and mister Rivers and mister Bates down the streets
down the street from us. He would carry his guitar
in a case, and they would carry their hard lunch
pails and with their hard hats to work. And you
say that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree,
mine's fail.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
But it rolled down the hill.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
With drug addiction and violence and divorces in my family
and just a breakup. And of course, if anybody's listening,
know what I'm talking about. It takes a toll, a traumatic,
extreme traumatic toll on you spiritually, physically, and mentally.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
And I used.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Drugs to put a band aid over my feelings. And
of course, if you put a band aid over a
bullet wound is going to bleed soon. So grew up
and went back into the music, and went back and
forth to prison, and one day I gave my life
to the Lord Jesus Christ and got out and became
(15:13):
a minister and then ordained as a elder and reverend
and fell off the wagon a few times. And scripture
says that a righteous man falls seven times, but he
rises back up again. I kept getting back up and
kept getting back up. It kept falling, kept getting back up.
Nominated twice for a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, w C
(15:38):
Handy Award, and Bobby Blue Band Lifetime Achievement Award. Another
turnaround was I gave up the night life. The book
says from the Shadow of the Blues, and that shadow
for me was a lifestyle of immorality, violence and drugs
(16:02):
and alcohol and whatever you want to call it. And
I have to include a scripture because the scripture says
in Psalm ninety one and one. He that dwelleth in
a secret place, a bideth under the shadow of the Almighty,
And that is a shadow that I choose to be
under today. And I'm just glad that you would have
(16:22):
me on your show, THEO.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I'm honored to meet with you, and I'm very intrigued
about your story. If you don't mind it, I break
down a few elements about you. Mentioned that you had
a sense of being displaced on house, a houselessness. I
wanted to ask, if you don't mind under how did
it happen? You know, because you come from such a
premiere father, you know, and being displaced in being un housed,
(16:48):
how did that happen?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
You know? What was the precipitating events to that.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
Well, oftentimes there's this window that or the orbit, whatever
you want to call it, that people have a tendency
to put you in because you were the sun or
the daughter of a movie star or celebrity. But all
that glitters, I was saying, all that glitters wasn't gold.
And because you saw me laugh didn't mean that I
(17:13):
cried at night or cried on the inside. Because the
apple was shiny and delicious and attractive didn't mean that
it had a worm, didn't have a worm in it,
and minds had a worm in it.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
My goal was not glitter. It looked good, but it
was really fake.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
It was plastic, and everything about me was fake news.
I went through the violent era. I was shot twice
in two different states, and cut in my face.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
I'll wear that all the time.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
Stabbed, thrown out because overdose. I can't even remember the count. Yes,
and my family, and I don't blame them, just only
because I had turned into a beast.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
I slept in cars.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
I would have slept under the bridge, but I couldn't
sleep because of the cars that was going back and forth. Basically,
I was a dope fiend. I shot dope in my
arms and my legs and my hands and my neck.
I took from people. I was in and out of prisons.
I think I me and my wife founded yesterday or
(18:23):
a day before yesterday. I was in and out of
sixteen facilities of incarceration, even a prison over in Vancouver,
British Columbia called Oakalla Mainland Correctional Facility homeless sleeping in
just like you said, sleeping on cardboard every time a
(18:44):
certain time of night, we would go and collect our cardboards.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I did the same thing.
Speaker 5 (18:50):
It was a horrible life as a direct result of
my drug addiction and my behavior. And I don't blame
people family, not my friends, not my ex wives, because
drug addiction is a demonic possession to me. People have
got their own opinion. I've tried everything. I was on methadone.
(19:14):
I've been to about twenty one drug rehabilitation centers. I
even went to when I was sixteen, I was sent
to drug rehabilitation center called Synanon, which turned out to
be a cult. I have been on methadone. I've been
in pite wards. I've done it. I've done it. But
(19:37):
I thank God today that I'm here telling you and
those who are listening that there is hope. You don't
have to just make that your standard modus operandi. You
don't have to drive that in stone. You can come
out of it. And I was resilient, tenacity. I didn't
(19:58):
give up, even though people say, you're never gonna be this,
You're never gonna be that, even your own family, You're
gonna always be down. Once a drug addict, always a
drug addict. Nobody cares and nobody this and nobody, and
then you're profiled. So it goes on and on. But
I thank God that one day I goes on my
(20:20):
way to prison. It's to Solidad prison. They arrested me
for a grand theft person. I was asked to go
to a chapel where there was lady who was speaking reluctantly.
I went with them, and the lady didn't give a
yell or hand behind her ear and dancing.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
And condemning and judging. She just simply said, and if you're.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Tired of being tired of being tired, and you've tried everything.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
I'm just here to offer you about a man named
Jesus Christ. And I accepted him as my personal savior.
And again I fel I feel I fell and just.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
Seemed like everything that everybody said, you're going to always
be a homeless You're gonna always and nobody going to
do this and this and that and this and that,
and here I am to prove wrong that I'm here
and I'm alive, and I'm living in Germany with a
wonderful life, and just thank God that I'm here.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
We'll be right back after a quick break. Welcome back.
This is Theil Henderson with Weedy and House. Here is
the rest of my conversation with John Lee Hooker Jr.
How long have you been in Germany and what made
you transition from living in the States to Germany's what's
(21:48):
going on there?
Speaker 4 (21:49):
Well?
Speaker 5 (21:50):
I moved to Germany because I met a lady about
twenty years ago and we were friends, really good friends,
and relationship.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Start building up. She would visit here.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I met her on tour because I toured the world,
were doing my music, and her and her family would
come to see us every year, because twice a year
week toured Europe and she would come every year. But
to make a long story short, she got divorced and
I got divorced, and eight nine years apart of not
(22:26):
hearing from each other. You know, just the social media
God has a way of using social media to bring
you back into contact.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
And that's my story.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
She'd come in it not really a comment, but just
a like on Facebook about my transition and thumbs up
and I recognized the German name and I said is
that She said, yeah, this is me, And long story short,
we visited back and forth and nothing intimate, getting to
(23:00):
know each other again from two different levels because I'm
clean and sober and.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Gave my life and I'm preaching here and there. I'm
an evangelist, traveling preacher, and long story short, we fell
in fell in love. There was always some kind of romana,
just say, a sprinkle.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Of admiration for one another, but not intimately but romantic.
There was a like there was an adelation that we
had for each other, you know, and you know what.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I'm talking about. And all of a sudden, then one
day the Lord says, go to Germany, and I'm going
to make sure that I give you all the things
that you had over here a home, your ministry, which
is special to me, and preaching the gospel is what
I love to do and I love to sing.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Well, that sounds like that's a very very motivating synopsis.
I wanted to ask a couple more questions. Is that
also in your ministry? Obviously you definitely talk about your
past and how someone was to hear it and they
were in a similar situation that you are in what
words would you impart with him?
Speaker 4 (24:16):
Don't ever give up? Don't ever give up.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
I would say, stay away from prayer haters.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
And if you've.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
Tried everything and you've tried everything, and you've tried everything.
I can introduce you to the same person that I
was introduced to, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ,
who has all power in his hand and he can
do anything. I'm a witness to it.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
So how long have you been off of substances if
you don't mind me asking?
Speaker 4 (24:49):
Oh about going on thirty years?
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Wow?
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yeah, and I am not tempted.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
That's impressive.
Speaker 5 (24:56):
I don't go into bars anymore. I mean that's like again,
I'm going into a casino to have a coffee.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Like a bingo night, and then they have one bingoing to.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
He's trapped someone that has this this born addiction, and
he decides that he's going to go and see a movie.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Exactly oil, you know, have a better chance like a
chicken going into the KFC, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Just to sight seet.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
I like that.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
So yeah, So that's that's impressive. Like I say, I'm
hearing your story and I have to say to my parents,
listen to your father. I just want to just disclosure
that not like I've not tried to you know, to
throw that. But I knew of Giant Lee Hooker because
like again, father's side of The family was from Mississippi,
so you know, they come down, came down and lived
(25:54):
into Chicago during a great migration. And then as you
probably gathered, I I was born in Chicago, but I
would say what I'd noticed about people from that come
from the South, there was a whole persona with the music,
the food, the conversation and and and and just the
(26:15):
I don't want to say lingal, but it's it's just
the lingual that they have. I mean, your father's generation
had just something that was very distinct you know. You
know they're sitting there listening to the music and and
and sitting out there with what they they used to say,
swapping lies and you know, telling stories and things like that.
So it was like, you know that I didn't know
(26:36):
that was very distincting. You know, being a city boy,
you know, I didn't have that kind of thing. But
I do know they really were invested involved into like,
you know, the blues and like I said, John Lee,
look over, I remember and this is going to trip
you out. I don't know if you remember the movies
Blues Brothers the original and where John John Lee Hooker
was on there with the you know, the boom Boom boom,
(26:58):
and and they street Maxwell.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Yeah yeah, well it used.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
To be where they got the polar sausages at the
hot Oh yeah, that was the that was the joint.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
But I came. I was going there for that.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
And they also had go kart rides too, because like
when I was growing up, you would go get to
your Maxwell Polish, but then you go down to it.
They had the bumper cards and those things. But you know,
they they built it up, but before that, before I
was born, they you know, they had to actual street
had other stuff going on. But so I was like,
that was one of the memorable things that putting a
face to who John Lee Hooker was. I didn't know
(27:33):
who he was. Of course I knew the music because
you hear it all the time. But I think that
was that was their social media and that if I
could put it that way, that was their connection and was, oh,
that's who the guy is, you know, and I think,
you know, like and then two, I would hear the
song intermittently during my life and things like that, and
I always remember that song and I happened if it
(27:53):
was any John Leaf Hooker song that was my favorite
was that one.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
But because I.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
You know, I could, I can, you know, the rhythm
and you know, the the spoken word that they had
to it was really cool. So I just wanted to
point that that was one of my earlier members.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I remember that, and I do.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Remember how that was such a very chokehold for that
generation of people. Blues was really especially in Chicago. I
don't have to tell you this, but you can probably
gathered all the blue spots and and you know, to
get togethers and you know, you know those kinds of things.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
So, yeah, I traveled with him to Chicago and we
stayed at I don't know, you probably will remember the
Roberts Hotel.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Yeah, I know, oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
And Robert owned a lot of property around. Uh that's
where I met Big Mama Thornton. And yeah, Jimmy Reid
was from Chicago, and I used to play in Chicago
many many times at the Kingston Mines.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
So yeah, So, like I said, you know, and and
I know these places. You know, I was young, but
I do know because of the older generation that was
there going and talking about they had to get together
or they would do the big elaborate dress up moments
to go out and step out and while keeping us
at home, or had someone watches while they you know,
had a good time.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Left us.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Yes, so I definitely remember those things, and I was like, okay,
and you know, and then they were casually dropping the
names and you know, and when they come back, they
would you know, hearing the songs and they will put
on the records at late night and you know, get
the Coca cola and R or RC and what was
it rum or something you know and needless to say,
(29:36):
and then it was interesting reminiscing and you know, songs
and things like that. So I definitely had the understanding
what was going on in that respect. But now as
I'm older, I realized, like, man, these were like really
blues grates that these people went literally to see.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
And I was like, if I could go back, I
wish I.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Could have went to sing a lot more of them,
but instead of like you know, hearing it off on.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
The tail end.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
How do you keep your legacy and your if you can,
if you are able to keep your dad's legacy alive,
how is that possible?
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Is it possible? Or what do you do?
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Well?
Speaker 5 (30:08):
I mean, I am not out there or out here
or anywhere. I don't sing rock me baby and whiskey
and women.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
And she was nineteen years old and she looked like
a baby child. And let the good time, bro, I
don't do that anymore, Okay.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
Carrying on a legacy about that, then you might say,
I'm not carrying.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
On that particular type of legacy.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
But my name, his name is my name, and I'm
carrying on that name in a very good and positive way,
spiritual as well. They will never hear about John Lee
Hooker Junior being on the streets again. They will never
hear about me drinking whiskey and shooting.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Dope and snorting dope or smoking dope.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
So in those terms, I'm carrying on a legacy in
a very positive way. But as far as under that
shadow of rock and less soccer and you only live once.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
And when you did, you're gone. I'm not doing that.
Speaker 5 (31:16):
I'm carrying on the legacy of my Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
You said you're going to say, is take you to
the king instead of you know, you know, let's let
me let's make a.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Thing like that and use that.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
But my dad, my dad, before he died, he saw
what I was doing, and he was so happy.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
He was so happy. All he says are before I die,
I just want to see you clean and sober.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
And he saw me giving my life to the Lord
Jesus Christ, and he boasted about it. My son is
is a preacher. Now, so uh, that is the legacy
that I carry on, the legacy.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
That's wonderful and that's awesome that your dad was able
to be blessed to see that.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Yeah, oh yeah, so happy, so happy.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Where can people find your book?
Speaker 5 (32:09):
On Amazon, on Barns and Nobles, but specifically from Amazon.
You can also purchase it in Europe. It's being sold
in five countries. If you can't remember, you can go
to my website Johnny Hooker junior dot com.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Click on store. You'll see the book.
Speaker 5 (32:31):
Click on the image and it's got five different distributors
that you can click on and yeah, uh huh. And
if you have any questions or want to talk about
what you might be going through, go to my website
click on ministry and right there in that little box,
let's talk.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
I was gonna say, are you going to be doing
any kind of book tours or it's gonna be just.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
No, not yet, I think it's been out or just
a month, a little over a month. So we're on
Serious XM for two days this week, which has one
hundred and fifty million listeners and followers. So we we'll
hopeful that something could come out of it, and we're
(33:16):
just waiting on God.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
And I'm thankful to be on yours and I s
all over our house.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
I'll say that that's such a kind thing to say,
and like I said, I'm very honored for you to
eat on. Like I said, when you know, I've had
other guests Lisa put on and I said, John Lee
Hookers Julia like who is this brother, I'm like, well,
I didn't know yet, all right, And I was like,
I can't beat John Lee Hooker's son. But then when
I started really saying, oh yeah yeah. But now like, yes,
(33:43):
I'm very glad that you were kind enough because I
know your schedule is busy and you're going to be
globe trotting in a positive direction. And not only that
that this book is also going to probably open other
doors for you opportunities.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
For yes, yes, sir, that's what we're looking forward to,
and we we're certain that it happened.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
It'll happen.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
But as long as we continue to do platforms like yours,
it's just wonderful. This is wonderful. When I heard about that,
I was going to be on your because you were
homes as well.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Yes, well that's great to hear.
Speaker 5 (34:19):
Happy to be here because you are an image of
resilience and tenacity and you didn't give up because look
at you now hallelujah.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Yeah, I say, you know, And I was very fortunate
to have people also that believed in me just as
like you did. You know, if it wouldn't I'm not
going to As you probably get it wasn't easy. So
but it definitely it's always not easy, you know that were.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
But you don't give up.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Yeah, so I was very grateful for that. Two other
things before. Is it possible if you if you would
like to return, if I invite you back, would you
be willing to share come back?
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Of course?
Speaker 5 (34:56):
And you know, I'm glad you said that because I
have we have a new video, oh it's coming out
in May, and plus a new gospel songs out.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
And I'll make sure that I'll send you everything.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Outstanding outstanding, mister Hooker, thank you very much. I won't
keep you too long. I want to thank you for
checking the time to show up and give us this interview.
Please tell us the name of your book again and
where to find it so our listeners can hear it,
and your website if you don't mind it.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
The book is called From the Shadow of the Blues,
My Story of Music, Addiction and Redemption. And you can
purchase that book on one of the main distributors Amazon,
both in Europe and in the US. Visit my website www.
(35:50):
John Lee Hooker Junior dot com.
Speaker 4 (35:54):
Just like that.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Perfect. Thank you, mister Hooker.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
I hopefully everyone enjoyed this treat This was the honor
you have mister Hooker Junior here.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
Thank you THEO for having me.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Thank you very much. Thank you so much to John.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
You can follow his work and learn more at the
links in the description. And that's it for another episode
of Wiedian House. Thank you all for listening. May we
again meet in the light of understanding. If you have
a story to share the air, please reach out to
me at Widianhouse at gmail dot com or Widian Howes
on Instagram. Wiedian Howse is a production of iHeartRadio. It
(36:36):
is written, hosted, and created by me Theo Henderson, our
producers Jamie Loftus, Hailey Fager, Katie Fischel and Lyra Smith.
Our editor is Adam Wand, our engineer is Joel Jerome
and our local art is also by Katie Fischer. Thank
you for listening.
Previously on Winnian House.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
And that other piece that was really shocking to me
was around children experienced almost us in the UK. There's
just sort of a very different approach to it. I
knew that if somebody came to the day center that
I worked at, and if they had a child under
eighteen with them, I immediately needed to call city Hall
(00:25):
as it would be here and I needed to let.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Them know that this is the case.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
The onus was on them to provide albeit a temporary roof,
but to provide that for that family. So it was
really shocking to me to come to America to realize
that children could be, you know, sleeping outside, children could
be sleeping in cars, as that just wasn't something that
you really ran across in the UK.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Welcome back to Whitian House. I'm your host, Theo Henderson.
This week, we're speaking with John Lee Hooker Junior, who
talks about the ups and downs of houselessness and other
challenges he's faced. But first gun House News. Our first
(01:22):
story begins in Chatsworth, California. City Council members voted to
extend forty one eighteen to Chatsworth intersections and bridges. The
council vote was eleven to two. The two opposing voters
were Nitya Rabin and Hugo Soto Martinez. Council member John Lee,
(01:42):
a notorious antagonist against the un housed, brought forth the resolution.
He claims forty one eighteen is effective for rooting out
people with substance usage. From twenty twenty one through twenty
twenty four, there were about four three hundred and sixty
arrest under forty one eighteen. Council member Tracy Park had
(02:05):
seven hundred forty one eighteen arrests, followed by Unices Hernandez
with five hundred and fifteen forty one eighteen arrests. A
secret internal member has proven forty one eighteen is not
effective and keeping encamp is clear and getting unhoused people housed.
(02:27):
Our second story takes us to Tennessee. Three years have
passed since it's been a felony to be unhoused and
camp on public land in that state.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Now lawmakers are adding more penalties.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Currently, the E class felony comes with a penalty of
six years in prison and a three thousand dollars five
for being unhoused. The new law also expedized clearing encampments
under highways or bridges. A cleaning must take place within
thirty days of a resident complaint. Of Tennessee's unhouse population,
(03:08):
which is about eight thousand people live in Nashville. A
group of these Nashvillians were recently given a sixty day
eviction notice to leave the area with no offer of
services or resources. Senator Brent Taylor, a Memphis Republican, is
responsible for crafting these bills.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And that's unhoused news.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
When we come back, we'll be speaking with our guest,
John Lee Hooker Jernis.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Welcome back to Weedian House. I'm THEO Henderson.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Before we get into the interview with John Lee Hooker Junior,
I wanted to spend time sharing some exciting news. First,
I want to thank the overwhelming acts of kindness and
support in voting for me to win the twenty twenty
five People's Voice Award Webbing. Not only have I won
the award, I won another webby given by the judges,
(04:12):
but the thank you using this award showed you're asks to.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Share five words of thanks.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I can't even go around the world showering five seconds,
so is it impossible for me to do the same
and thanking people that have been part of the Whedian
House journey. When I started Whedian Howse, I was living
on the streets for over eight years. Little did I
know how the show would impact my life and the
lives of my listeners all over the world. I did
(04:38):
not have the sophisticated equipment that I'm fortunate to use
with iHeartMedia now. I was stuck with a broken phone,
duct tape production and a lot of a domino wheel
to get this off the ground. It is an interesting
challenge creating a show and keeping the topics current and
the stories real in the best of circumstances. If you
(04:59):
listen to in my earlier episodes, you'll hear ambulances going by,
broken pauses, traffic, background noise, and lost trains of thought
due to the surrounding activity while getting the realness and
authenticity of my unhoused neighbors and friends.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Somehow, I prevailed.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
And was doing audio and video of William House at
a frenetic pace to fuel a growing need in the
world of houselessness. I was fortunate along the way to
receive help from Mukta Mohan, who referred me to an
extraordinary producer by the name of Carla Green, followed by
(05:39):
the recommendation of another producer, Hailey Faker, followed by my
travel videographer Carlos Nieto the third. This went on until
my extended team expanded with executive producer Jamie Loftus once
again Hailey Faker, Joel Jerome, Adam wand Katie Fischer Lyra Smith.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And that's been not least Jack O'Brien.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
If I had forgotten or admitted someone along the way,
please charge it to my head and not my heart.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
One more thank.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
You is to my listeners and the people who were
gracious enough to trust me with their stories, from one
time guests to returning guests, will helped me sustain Weedian House.
This show has brought up a wonderful question. Where does
Weedy and Howes go from here? The future is still unwritten,
(06:34):
but let us meet in the light of understanding reaching
it and now our conversation with John Lee Hooker. To you,
I will say you favorite John Lee Hooker. I hope,
so I would just say you kn't denied. You know
(06:54):
He's got you all over here. So I willing to
ask you a question. So, how is Germany compared to
you as you like it.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
I love it, man. No donuts in the middle in.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
The streets, nobody blocking you, No gunshot, oh of course not.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Uh No, nobody on the corner drank of wine.
Speaker 5 (07:14):
Nobody called and you big pippen and and mean mugging you.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
And it's just quiet. I'm the only brother here, dang.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Only only raising in the milk. Huh.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I like that, only raising in the milk, right.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
But I'm being treated treated uh very well, very well,
preaching uh in the big churches around in Germany and
singing and uh visiting the prisons. Uh. And I don't
speak fluent German, but I speak a little and what
(07:54):
I don't know, I write them on the script. And
my wife is German and she make sure everything is
all right. And that's what I do.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Man.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
But I'm very happy here. We bought a home here
and the property, so yeah, I'm here until God call
me on.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
All right, all right, all right, so right, So I'm
just going to give you just a general overview about
my show and explain who I am. My name is THEO,
and I created a show. I have been living on
the streets for over eight years. I've lived in cars,
I've lived on a fire escape, I ate out of
trash cans. I did it all. And what was eye
(08:35):
opening for me was because I had this negative viewpoint
of people living on the street that they were all
mentally ill and on substances until Carmen knocked on the door.
I am a college educated teacher and I had a
medical emergency and I had to be hospitalized for several months,
and I see you. I had to go through speech therapy,
(08:57):
I had to go through physical therapy. I had to
do all of it without a wife, without any children,
and without any immediate family. And as you probably know,
in America, teachers are not paid well at all, So
you know, we are definitely living on a very constricted
income paycheck to paycheck, and that paycheck started dwindled if
I'm not coming going in for my assignments to work
(09:18):
because I have to recuperate. And so it was that
it became like my classmates and my colleagues were kind
enough to let me stay at the place to try to,
you know, recover, because I lost my home and I
couldn't even even if I had the home, I couldn't
really stay because I had to have someone to take
care of me and look after me. I had to
stay on the medication regimen and make sure I go
(09:38):
to the appointments and all of that. And so eventually
I would bounce back from other places and doing couch commitments,
and then I got into some like maybe three star hotels.
Then it came down to two star hotels. Then it
came to fleabag hotels. And then I had started getting
real estate in the cardboard condominium duplexes out here, you know,
(09:59):
stay out on the show street, renting cardboards. So my
education opened my eyes to the realities because I wasn't
a misnomer. I wasn't an anomaly. There were a lot
of people I ran across that had had sustained jobs
and then situations happened to him. The gentleman that really
struck me was him and his wife were working and
(10:21):
living in this apartment building and his wife got brain cancer,
and he put all of his money and his life
savings and trying to keep her alive. Unfortunately she passed
away and she couldn't sustain the building, and then he
started sleeping outside the building he used to work at. So,
you know, these stories left an inevitable imprint on my mind,
and I wanted to have something that pushed back and
(10:44):
give people that make those snap judgments like I did,
a form or a platform for they can to talk
about their experiences and to say, you know, houselessness is
not a mono left Not everybody is.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
And I'm not knocking if.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
People are going substances, there's reasons behind that as well,
or having mental health issues or but there's also people
that are fleeing domestic abuse. There's also children that's in
foster care that ages out and living on the streets,
no follow their own they don't have no family, no
support system, So these things are not always talked about.
The first thing that people need jerkly reaction is is
like a personal failing. So when I created this, I
(11:21):
was literally living on the street creating this show, getting
interviews from people that my friends and other places until
I got partnered with iHeartRadio and now here I am
through the graces of the creator and God, and I'm
really really unfortunate, but I'm really trying to pay it
forward and getting people's stories and to talk about the
(11:42):
experiences of houselessness and to see what, if anything that
could be able to educate to liberate and motivate people
that are listening to the show, as well as to
inspire people to have more compassionate empathy.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
For people on the streets. Yes, yes, so let's take
it from the top.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Tell us a little bit about yourself, and I will
jump in every now and again to pepper you with
some questions.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yeah, well, myire well, I wouldn't even say my entire story,
but a synopsis of my life story is in my
book that we wrote released February fourth.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
What's the name of the title for our audience to note,
what's the name of.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
A good idea? The story.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
The name of the book is called From the Shadow
of the Blues, My Story of Music, Addiction and Redemption. Okay, yes,
and it was written by me, of course, and I
had a co writer by the name of Professor Julia Simon,
who's an author of five books. Oh, okay, And again,
(12:49):
my story is in that book, and it's a hard,
gut rich outo biography of what my life was about
growing up under the shadow of one of the greatest
blues singers and guitar players of all time. Of course,
my dad, mister John Lee Hooker born in Detroit, Michigan,
(13:13):
three hundred miles from Chicago.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
I will hope that a guessti.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
And just grew up under his music, under his influence.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
I'm from Motown, grew up nor I met Stevie Wonder
when we were both twelve years old, did some music
myself with my dad when I was about eight years
old on radio, sung on a few of his shows
as a little kid, and just loved how he made
(13:45):
the audiences and people smile and dance. And our house
was a house where people congregated at because there was
always music down in the basement, with the likes of
long haired people with fun the accents and television cameras,
and watching my dad take the bus along with mister
(14:06):
Poward and mister Rivers and mister Bates down the streets
down the street from us. He would carry his guitar
in a case, and they would carry their hard lunch
pails and with their hard hats to work. And you
say that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree,
mine's fail.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
But it rolled down the hill.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
With drug addiction and violence and divorces in my family
and just a breakup. And of course, if anybody's listening,
know what I'm talking about. It takes a toll, a traumatic,
extreme traumatic toll on you spiritually, physically, and mentally.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
And I used.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
Drugs to put a band aid over my feelings. And
of course, if you put a band aid over a
bullet wound is going to bleed soon. So grew up
and went back into the music, and went back and
forth to prison, and one day I gave my life
to the Lord Jesus Christ and got out and became
(15:13):
a minister and then ordained as a elder and reverend
and fell off the wagon a few times. And scripture
says that a righteous man falls seven times, but he
rises back up again. I kept getting back up and
kept getting back up. It kept falling, kept getting back up.
Nominated twice for a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, w C
(15:38):
Handy Award, and Bobby Blue Band Lifetime Achievement Award. Another
turnaround was I gave up the night life. The book
says from the Shadow of the Blues, and that shadow
for me was a lifestyle of immorality, violence and drugs
(16:02):
and alcohol and whatever you want to call it. And
I have to include a scripture because the scripture says
in Psalm ninety one and one. He that dwelleth in
a secret place, a bideth under the shadow of the Almighty,
And that is a shadow that I choose to be
under today. And I'm just glad that you would have
(16:22):
me on your show, THEO.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I'm honored to meet with you, and I'm very intrigued
about your story. If you don't mind it, I break
down a few elements about you. Mentioned that you had
a sense of being displaced on house, a houselessness. I
wanted to ask, if you don't mind under how did
it happen? You know, because you come from such a
premiere father, you know, and being displaced in being un housed,
(16:48):
how did that happen?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
You know? What was the precipitating events to that.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
Well, oftentimes there's this window that or the orbit, whatever
you want to call it, that people have a tendency
to put you in because you were the sun or
the daughter of a movie star or celebrity. But all
that glitters, I was saying, all that glitters wasn't gold.
And because you saw me laugh didn't mean that I
(17:13):
cried at night or cried on the inside. Because the
apple was shiny and delicious and attractive didn't mean that
it had a worm, didn't have a worm in it,
and minds had a worm in it.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
My goal was not glitter. It looked good, but it
was really fake.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
It was plastic, and everything about me was fake news.
I went through the violent era. I was shot twice
in two different states, and cut in my face.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
I'll wear that all the time.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
Stabbed, thrown out because overdose. I can't even remember the count. Yes,
and my family, and I don't blame them, just only
because I had turned into a beast.
Speaker 4 (18:00):
I slept in cars.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
I would have slept under the bridge, but I couldn't
sleep because of the cars that was going back and forth. Basically,
I was a dope fiend. I shot dope in my
arms and my legs and my hands and my neck.
I took from people. I was in and out of prisons.
I think I me and my wife founded yesterday or
(18:23):
a day before yesterday. I was in and out of
sixteen facilities of incarceration, even a prison over in Vancouver,
British Columbia called Oakalla Mainland Correctional Facility homeless sleeping in
just like you said, sleeping on cardboard every time a
(18:44):
certain time of night, we would go and collect our cardboards.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I did the same thing.
Speaker 5 (18:50):
It was a horrible life as a direct result of
my drug addiction and my behavior. And I don't blame
people family, not my friends, not my ex wives, because
drug addiction is a demonic possession to me. People have
got their own opinion. I've tried everything. I was on methadone.
(19:14):
I've been to about twenty one drug rehabilitation centers. I
even went to when I was sixteen, I was sent
to drug rehabilitation center called Synanon, which turned out to
be a cult. I have been on methadone. I've been
in pite wards. I've done it. I've done it. But
(19:37):
I thank God today that I'm here telling you and
those who are listening that there is hope. You don't
have to just make that your standard modus operandi. You
don't have to drive that in stone. You can come
out of it. And I was resilient, tenacity. I didn't
(19:58):
give up, even though people say, you're never gonna be this,
You're never gonna be that, even your own family, You're
gonna always be down. Once a drug addict, always a
drug addict. Nobody cares and nobody this and nobody, and
then you're profiled. So it goes on and on. But
I thank God that one day I goes on my
(20:20):
way to prison. It's to Solidad prison. They arrested me
for a grand theft person. I was asked to go
to a chapel where there was lady who was speaking reluctantly.
I went with them, and the lady didn't give a
yell or hand behind her ear and dancing.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
And condemning and judging. She just simply said, and if you're.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
Tired of being tired of being tired, and you've tried everything.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
I'm just here to offer you about a man named
Jesus Christ. And I accepted him as my personal savior.
And again I fel I feel I fell and just.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
Seemed like everything that everybody said, you're going to always
be a homeless You're gonna always and nobody going to
do this and this and that and this and that,
and here I am to prove wrong that I'm here
and I'm alive, and I'm living in Germany with a
wonderful life, and just thank God that I'm here.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
We'll be right back after a quick break. Welcome back.
This is Theil Henderson with Weedy and House. Here is
the rest of my conversation with John Lee Hooker Jr.
How long have you been in Germany and what made
you transition from living in the States to Germany's what's
(21:48):
going on there?
Speaker 4 (21:49):
Well?
Speaker 5 (21:50):
I moved to Germany because I met a lady about
twenty years ago and we were friends, really good friends,
and relationship.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Start building up. She would visit here.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I met her on tour because I toured the world,
were doing my music, and her and her family would
come to see us every year, because twice a year
week toured Europe and she would come every year. But
to make a long story short, she got divorced and
I got divorced, and eight nine years apart of not
(22:26):
hearing from each other. You know, just the social media
God has a way of using social media to bring
you back into contact.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
And that's my story.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
She'd come in it not really a comment, but just
a like on Facebook about my transition and thumbs up
and I recognized the German name and I said is
that She said, yeah, this is me, And long story short,
we visited back and forth and nothing intimate, getting to
(23:00):
know each other again from two different levels because I'm
clean and sober and.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Gave my life and I'm preaching here and there. I'm
an evangelist, traveling preacher, and long story short, we fell
in fell in love. There was always some kind of romana,
just say, a sprinkle.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Of admiration for one another, but not intimately but romantic.
There was a like there was an adelation that we
had for each other, you know, and you know what.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I'm talking about. And all of a sudden, then one
day the Lord says, go to Germany, and I'm going
to make sure that I give you all the things
that you had over here a home, your ministry, which
is special to me, and preaching the gospel is what
I love to do and I love to sing.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Well, that sounds like that's a very very motivating synopsis.
I wanted to ask a couple more questions. Is that
also in your ministry? Obviously you definitely talk about your
past and how someone was to hear it and they
were in a similar situation that you are in what
words would you impart with him?
Speaker 4 (24:16):
Don't ever give up? Don't ever give up.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
I would say, stay away from prayer haters.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
And if you've.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
Tried everything and you've tried everything, and you've tried everything.
I can introduce you to the same person that I
was introduced to, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ,
who has all power in his hand and he can
do anything. I'm a witness to it.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
So how long have you been off of substances if
you don't mind me asking?
Speaker 4 (24:49):
Oh about going on thirty years?
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Wow?
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yeah, and I am not tempted.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
That's impressive.
Speaker 5 (24:56):
I don't go into bars anymore. I mean that's like again,
I'm going into a casino to have a coffee.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Like a bingo night, and then they have one bingoing to.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
He's trapped someone that has this this born addiction, and
he decides that he's going to go and see a movie.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Exactly oil, you know, have a better chance like a
chicken going into the KFC, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Just to sight seet.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
I like that.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
So yeah, So that's that's impressive. Like I say, I'm
hearing your story and I have to say to my parents,
listen to your father. I just want to just disclosure
that not like I've not tried to you know, to
throw that. But I knew of Giant Lee Hooker because
like again, father's side of The family was from Mississippi,
so you know, they come down, came down and lived
(25:54):
into Chicago during a great migration. And then as you
probably gathered, I I was born in Chicago, but I
would say what I'd noticed about people from that come
from the South, there was a whole persona with the music,
the food, the conversation and and and and just the
(26:15):
I don't want to say lingal, but it's it's just
the lingual that they have. I mean, your father's generation
had just something that was very distinct you know. You
know they're sitting there listening to the music and and
and sitting out there with what they they used to say,
swapping lies and you know, telling stories and things like that.
So it was like, you know that I didn't know
(26:36):
that was very distincting. You know, being a city boy,
you know, I didn't have that kind of thing. But
I do know they really were invested involved into like,
you know, the blues and like I said, John Lee,
look over, I remember and this is going to trip
you out. I don't know if you remember the movies
Blues Brothers the original and where John John Lee Hooker
was on there with the you know, the boom Boom boom,
(26:58):
and and they street Maxwell.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Yeah yeah, well it used.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
To be where they got the polar sausages at the
hot Oh yeah, that was the that was the joint.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
But I came. I was going there for that.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
And they also had go kart rides too, because like
when I was growing up, you would go get to
your Maxwell Polish, but then you go down to it.
They had the bumper cards and those things. But you know,
they they built it up, but before that, before I
was born, they you know, they had to actual street
had other stuff going on. But so I was like,
that was one of the memorable things that putting a
face to who John Lee Hooker was. I didn't know
(27:33):
who he was. Of course I knew the music because
you hear it all the time. But I think that
was that was their social media and that if I
could put it that way, that was their connection and was, oh,
that's who the guy is, you know, and I think,
you know, like and then two, I would hear the
song intermittently during my life and things like that, and
I always remember that song and I happened if it
(27:53):
was any John Leaf Hooker song that was my favorite
was that one.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
But because I.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
You know, I could, I can, you know, the rhythm
and you know, the the spoken word that they had
to it was really cool. So I just wanted to
point that that was one of my earlier members.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I remember that, and I do.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Remember how that was such a very chokehold for that
generation of people. Blues was really especially in Chicago. I
don't have to tell you this, but you can probably
gathered all the blue spots and and you know, to
get togethers and you know, you know those kinds of things.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
So, yeah, I traveled with him to Chicago and we
stayed at I don't know, you probably will remember the
Roberts Hotel.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Yeah, I know, oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
And Robert owned a lot of property around. Uh that's
where I met Big Mama Thornton. And yeah, Jimmy Reid
was from Chicago, and I used to play in Chicago
many many times at the Kingston Mines.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
So yeah, So, like I said, you know, and and
I know these places. You know, I was young, but
I do know because of the older generation that was
there going and talking about they had to get together
or they would do the big elaborate dress up moments
to go out and step out and while keeping us
at home, or had someone watches while they you know,
had a good time.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Left us.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Yes, so I definitely remember those things, and I was like, okay,
and you know, and then they were casually dropping the
names and you know, and when they come back, they
would you know, hearing the songs and they will put
on the records at late night and you know, get
the Coca cola and R or RC and what was
it rum or something you know and needless to say,
(29:36):
and then it was interesting reminiscing and you know, songs
and things like that. So I definitely had the understanding
what was going on in that respect. But now as
I'm older, I realized, like, man, these were like really
blues grates that these people went literally to see.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
And I was like, if I could go back, I
wish I.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Could have went to sing a lot more of them,
but instead of like you know, hearing it off on.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
The tail end.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
How do you keep your legacy and your if you can,
if you are able to keep your dad's legacy alive,
how is that possible?
Speaker 1 (30:06):
Is it possible? Or what do you do?
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Well?
Speaker 5 (30:08):
I mean, I am not out there or out here
or anywhere. I don't sing rock me baby and whiskey
and women.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
And she was nineteen years old and she looked like
a baby child. And let the good time, bro, I
don't do that anymore, Okay.
Speaker 5 (30:29):
Carrying on a legacy about that, then you might say,
I'm not carrying.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
On that particular type of legacy.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
But my name, his name is my name, and I'm
carrying on that name in a very good and positive way,
spiritual as well. They will never hear about John Lee
Hooker Junior being on the streets again. They will never
hear about me drinking whiskey and shooting.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Dope and snorting dope or smoking dope.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
So in those terms, I'm carrying on a legacy in
a very positive way. But as far as under that
shadow of rock and less soccer and you only live once.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
And when you did, you're gone. I'm not doing that.
Speaker 5 (31:16):
I'm carrying on the legacy of my Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
You said you're going to say, is take you to
the king instead of you know, you know, let's let
me let's make a.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Thing like that and use that.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
But my dad, my dad, before he died, he saw
what I was doing, and he was so happy.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
He was so happy. All he says are before I die,
I just want to see you clean and sober.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
And he saw me giving my life to the Lord
Jesus Christ, and he boasted about it. My son is
is a preacher. Now, so uh, that is the legacy
that I carry on, the legacy.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
That's wonderful and that's awesome that your dad was able
to be blessed to see that.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Yeah, oh yeah, so happy, so happy.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Where can people find your book?
Speaker 5 (32:09):
On Amazon, on Barns and Nobles, but specifically from Amazon.
You can also purchase it in Europe. It's being sold
in five countries. If you can't remember, you can go
to my website Johnny Hooker junior dot com.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Click on store. You'll see the book.
Speaker 5 (32:31):
Click on the image and it's got five different distributors
that you can click on and yeah, uh huh. And
if you have any questions or want to talk about
what you might be going through, go to my website
click on ministry and right there in that little box,
let's talk.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
I was gonna say, are you going to be doing
any kind of book tours or it's gonna be just.
Speaker 5 (32:55):
No, not yet, I think it's been out or just
a month, a little over a month. So we're on
Serious XM for two days this week, which has one
hundred and fifty million listeners and followers. So we we'll
hopeful that something could come out of it, and we're
(33:16):
just waiting on God.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
And I'm thankful to be on yours and I s
all over our house.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
I'll say that that's such a kind thing to say,
and like I said, I'm very honored for you to
eat on. Like I said, when you know, I've had
other guests Lisa put on and I said, John Lee
Hookers Julia like who is this brother, I'm like, well,
I didn't know yet, all right, And I was like,
I can't beat John Lee Hooker's son. But then when
I started really saying, oh yeah yeah. But now like, yes,
(33:43):
I'm very glad that you were kind enough because I
know your schedule is busy and you're going to be
globe trotting in a positive direction. And not only that
that this book is also going to probably open other
doors for you opportunities.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
For yes, yes, sir, that's what we're looking forward to,
and we we're certain that it happened.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
It'll happen.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
But as long as we continue to do platforms like yours,
it's just wonderful. This is wonderful. When I heard about that,
I was going to be on your because you were
homes as well.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Yes, well that's great to hear.
Speaker 5 (34:19):
Happy to be here because you are an image of
resilience and tenacity and you didn't give up because look
at you now hallelujah.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Yeah, I say, you know, And I was very fortunate
to have people also that believed in me just as
like you did. You know, if it wouldn't I'm not
going to As you probably get it wasn't easy. So
but it definitely it's always not easy, you know that were.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
But you don't give up.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Yeah, so I was very grateful for that. Two other
things before. Is it possible if you if you would
like to return, if I invite you back, would you
be willing to share come back?
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Of course?
Speaker 5 (34:56):
And you know, I'm glad you said that because I
have we have a new video, oh it's coming out
in May, and plus a new gospel songs out.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
And I'll make sure that I'll send you everything.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Outstanding outstanding, mister Hooker, thank you very much. I won't
keep you too long. I want to thank you for
checking the time to show up and give us this interview.
Please tell us the name of your book again and
where to find it so our listeners can hear it,
and your website if you don't mind it.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
The book is called From the Shadow of the Blues,
My Story of Music, Addiction and Redemption. And you can
purchase that book on one of the main distributors Amazon,
both in Europe and in the US. Visit my website www.
(35:50):
John Lee Hooker Junior dot com.
Speaker 4 (35:54):
Just like that.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Perfect. Thank you, mister Hooker.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
I hopefully everyone enjoyed this treat This was the honor
you have mister Hooker Junior here.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
Thank you THEO for having me.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Thank you very much. Thank you so much to John.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
You can follow his work and learn more at the
links in the description. And that's it for another episode
of Wiedian House. Thank you all for listening. May we
again meet in the light of understanding. If you have
a story to share the air, please reach out to
me at Widianhouse at gmail dot com or Widian Howes
on Instagram. Wiedian Howse is a production of iHeartRadio. It
(36:36):
is written, hosted, and created by me Theo Henderson, our
producers Jamie Loftus, Hailey Fager, Katie Fischel and Lyra Smith.
Our editor is Adam Wand, our engineer is Joel Jerome
and our local art is also by Katie Fischer. Thank
you for listening.
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