Snooks Eaglin was a blind New Orleans R&B singer and guitarist. He was known as “The Human Jukebox” because he could play almost any type of music, Blues, Rock, Folk, Funk R&B, Soul and Country & Western. It is said, he could play over 2500 songs. He was known for performing without a set list, playing any tune that popped into his head often forgetting to tell his bandmates what he was doing.
He played and recorded with R&B bands in the fifties but often played solo on the streets of New Orleans to help supplement his income. He was “discovered” while busking on the street by folklorist Harry Oster who recorded him several times in the late fifties and sixties. Although, he was billed on these recordings as a blues man, he was much more than that. Recorded by himself with just an acoustic guitar, Eaglin covers a huge variety of music. Along with classic Blues covers he also plays traditional New Orleans Jazz (St. James Infirmary”, “Careless Love”), Gospel (“When Them Golden Bells”, “I Must See Jesus”) and Soul and Rock N Roll tunes such as Ray Charles’ “I Got A Woman”, Big Joe Turner’s “Shake Rattle & Roll” and Little Richard’s “Lucille”. One of the few performers who could actually “rock” with nothing but an acoustic guitar, his voice is huge and his rhythm and lead guitar playing is incredible. Listen to his version of “I Got A Woman Below”.
Although his first recordings were as a solo artist, he spent most of his career fronting bands. He recorded sporadically for small labels in the sixties and seventies until finally signing with Black Top Records in the eighties. He released four albums on Blacktop, all of them top rate funky New Orleans R&B. Here is Snooks and his smoking version of Benny Spellman’s “Lipstick Traces”
Snooks Eaglin died in 2009 at the age of 72. It’s sad that he is not better known but most of his music is available wherever digital music is sold. You can also find quite a few videos on YouTube. Take some time to check him out today. It will bring a smile to your face.
Written By Casey Redmond
March 3, 2020
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