Eddie Kirkland on second guitar; they picked up accompanists as needed. Touring the R&B circuit in this way continued to spread his popularity and strengthen his fan base. It wasn't until 1955, when Hooker signed with Vee Jay, that he began recording regularly with a band, as by this time solo blues performances - even in Hooker's capable hands — had started to become an old-fashioned and outdated concept. Hooker invited key blues players such as Jimmy Reed and Eddie Taylor to work as his sidemen
and had several hits on Vee Jay, the biggest two being 'Boom Boom' and 'Dimples', both performed and recorded in innumerable versions by blues followers in later years.
Reaching New Audiences As the 1950s turned into the 1960s, Hooker's music began to appear on LR The craze for R&B began to wane, but Hooker's rural roots and stripped-back style meant that he was able to look back to his earlier repertoire and take advantage of the fast-growing interest in folk music. He performed at both the Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival in 1960, gaining exposure to large numbers of white college students for the first time; the Rolling Stones and the Animals cited Hooker as a major influence or their early records. Beginning in 1962, Hooker became a regular on the European club and concert circuit, while at home, he spent much of the early 1960s working coffeehouses and folk-music clubs.
He signed a three-year deal with Bluesway in 1966, where he made excellent albums, such as Live At Cafe Aw Go-Go with the Muddy Waters' band, until the label folded and was taken over by the paren label, ABC Records, in 1970.