Snooks Eaglin
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Fird Eaglin, Jr., also known as Snooks Eaglin or "Blind Snooks" Eaglin, is a blues and R&B guitarist and singer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1936.
Eaglin lost his sight not long after his first birthday after being stricken with glaucoma, and spent several years in the hospital with other ailments. Around the age of five Eaglin was given a guitar, with which he taught himself to play by listening to and playing with the radio. Being a mischievous young man, he was given the nickname "Snooks" after a character on the radio named Baby Snooks.
[edit] Career
After a few years Eaglin dropped out of high school to play with the Flamingoes, a local band started by Allen Toussaint. He stayed with this band for several years, until its dissolution in the mid 50s.
Eaglin often took to playing in the street when he didn't have enough studio or touring work; there he was found by Harry Oster, a folklorist from Louisiana State University. Oster made recording of Eaglin which later became records on Folkways, Folklyric, and Prestige labels.
His vocal style is reminiscent of Ray Charles; indeed, in the 50s, when he was in his late teens, he would sometimes bill himself as "Little" Ray Charles. He is generally regarded as a consistent and superb bluesman, perhaps best shown on the record That's All Right (Heritage, 1961). He is equally capable on rollicking songs like the title track, and downtempo, lowdown blues melodies like The Walkin' Blues.
Over the years, his ability to perfectly understand and make any song his own has earned him the nickname the "human jukebox."
Eaglin later went on to record fine funk and soul flavored records in the 70s and 80s, cutting tracks with (usual New Orleans-based) musicians such as Ellis Marsalis, Smokey Johnson, and George Porter, Jr.
Eaglin's most recent record came out in 2003, a live performance entitled Soul Train from Nawlins (P-vine Japan).
