Lazy Lester

Back when blues was king and South Louisiana was the breeding ground for a blast of some of the most memorable American music ever recorded, at the heart of it was Lazy Lester. Those days are gone, and so too are most of its luminaries. And yet Lester carries the tradition almost single-handedly around the world several times over each year. As a true living legend, his talents are as much in demand as ever.

After all, there aren't many living bluesmen who've had major hits, as Lester did on Excello Records in the 1950s and '60s, and are still performing with the gusto and precision of their youth. Lester hasn't lost a thing, and as his voice has richened with age, you could make a strong case for him being in his prime now.

Leslie Johnson was born June 20, 1933 in the small town of Torras, Louisiana near the Mississippi state border to Robert Johnson and Maggie Hartford. He was raised mostly in Scotlandville, a suburb of Baton Rouge. As a boy, he worked as a gas station attendant, woodcutter and at a grocery store, where he purchased a harmonica and Little Walter's famous "Juke" record. Lester began to blow harp, and in a relatively short time became somewhat proficient.