Song:Sugar Coated Love
Album:I'm A lover Not A Fighter
After not making much money in the 50s, bluesman Lazy Lester quit the music business in the 70s. He returned in the 80s and continues to record and tour today. Sugar Coated Love has been covered by many blues artists. He was born Leslie Johnson June 20, 1933 in Torras, LA. When Buddy Guy left for Chicago in 1957, Lester replaced him in his band. He became friends with Lightnin' Slim and Slim Harpo and he became a regular at their record label Excello Records. They took him to the recording studio and producer Jay Miller liked Lester enough to record him. Miller named him Lazy Lester because of Johnson's laid back personality. He recorded a few singles like Sugar Coated Love and I'm A Lover Not A Fighter but none of them caught on. Lester wrote these songs but Miller took credit and Lester never made any money from the songs. He continued to record for Excello in the 60s and played harmonica on many sessions, especially for Slim Harpo. By the late 60s, Lester quit the music business and moved to Pontiac, MI and lived with Slim Harpo's sister. He worked in a factory and spent most of his spare time fishing. Lester returned in the late 80s and has recorded for several labels including Alligator and Telarc. His latest CD You Better Listen was released in 2011. He is playing a show in England next week. Sugar Coated Love has been covered by many blues artists, most notably Lou Ann Barton. You can get it and Lester's other Excello recordings on this Ace records comp. Here is Lazy Lester performing Sugar Coated Love at Antone's Records in Austin, TX 2011.
No comments:
Post a Comment