Lightnin Hopkins

Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins, the iconoclastic blues singer and guitarist who made Houston his home for most of his life, will be honored alongside Glenn Gould, Charlie Haden, Carole King, Patti Page, Ravi Shankar and the Temptations with the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Grammy Award show.

The performers will be honored at an invitation-only ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 9 and will also be acknowledged at the 55th annual Grammy Awards telecast at the Staples Center the following night. The show airs at 7 p.m. Central.

A thoughtful tribute to the late Hopkins was written by Gary C. Clark and Doyle Bramhall II, two guitarists influenced by him. You can read it here.

Hopkins was born in Centerville in 1912 and began playing blues as a child. Over the years he developed a style of blues of his own, with his laconic drawl and a unique feel for time. He made scores of recordings in his life. He died of cancer in 1982.

The beloved music of Hopkins has been covered by many. Here are few covers:
Cowboy Junkies- "Shining Moon"

Grateful Dead- "Katie Mae"

Hot Tuna- "Come Back Baby"

Townes Van Zandt- "Hello Central"

Andrew Dansby takes a closer look at this legend at houstonchronicle.com .