Press Release
January 2009


For Immediate Release
Contact:
Makeda Smith
(661) 718-8843
makeda@jazzmynepr.com
www.jazzmynepr.com

Bluesman

John Lee Hooker, Jr. Tributes

President-Elect Barack Obama's Inauguration

With New Video Release

"The People Want A Change"

Second Video from John Lee Hooker, Jr.'s

"All Odds Against Me" CD

Offers Ringing Message of Hope and Redemption

In Light of Upcoming Presidential Inauguration



Bluesman turned animated superhero; John Lee Hooker Jr. is celebrating the inauguration of the first African American president, Barack Obama with the release of his second animated video, "The People Want A Change" from his Grammy nominated CD, "All Odds Against Me." Presented by his own Steppin' Stone Records and the Paris, France based Callicore Productions, the animation offers a ringing message of hope and redemption as the world at large embraces a climate for change under the direction of President-Elect Barack Obama.

"The People Want A Change" is a rocking blues anthem expressing society's frustration with the current economic, political and financial upheavals. The video animation captures the lyrics in vivid black and white pictorials, with Hooker, Jr. soldiered by not only Obama, but peace icons Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X and Mahatma Gandhi.

Hooker initially broke blues barriers with his first animated video release, "Blues Ain't Nothing But A Pimp" from the same CD. The animation, also created by Frenchman Laurent Mercier at the Callicore Animation Studios in Paris, has been embraced by hip hop audiences worldwide and has successfully served to bridge the generation gap between the two musical genres. With "The People Want A Change" Hooker, Jr. captures the sentiments of citizens worldwide with a universal message and vision for peace and hope.

"With the inauguration of the next president on the horizon, "The People Want A Change" became the perfect vehicle to express what we have all been feeling," explains John Lee Hooker, Jr. "The blues has always been about getting to the root of what a man or woman is going through, the anguish and the joy. I am so proud of this video. And the fact that it was created by my fellow French brother, all the way in Paris, it just goes to show how universal the message is and how excited the world is about our new president, President Barack Obama!"

2009 is starting off on a high note for Hooker, Jr. He has been recognized for a second Grammy nomination in the Best Traditional Blues Album category with "All Odds Against Me," and just returned home from a successful international tour. As the son of blues icon, John Lee Hooker, John Lee Hooker, Jr. is continuing a legacy while creating his own.

"The People Want a Change" can be viewed at www.JohnLeeHookerJr.com .
NOTE TO MEDIA: John Lee Hooker, Jr. is available for interview. Contact makeda@jazzmynepr.com .