Silas Hogan

Silas Hogan Biography

Silas Hogan (September 15, 1911 - January 9, 1994) was an American blues musician. Hogan most notably recorded "Airport Blues" and "Lonesome La La", was the front man of the Rhythm Ramblers, and became an inductee in the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame.

Biography

Hogan learned guitar playing as a teenager and was performing on a regular basis by the late 1930s. Similar to Lazy Lester and Slim Harpo, Hogan was influenced by Jimmy Reed. He had relocated to Baton Rouge, Louisiana by the early 1950s, and equipped with a Fender electric guitar, Hogan put together the Rhythm Ramblers. They assisted in the development of the Baton Rouge Blues sound, and with band members Hogan (guitar), Isaiah Chapman (lead guitar), Jimmy Dotson (drums), plus Sylvester Buckley (harmonica), they stayed together for almost ten years.

In 1962, by which time he was aged 51, Hogan was belatedly introduced by Harpo to the Crowley, Louisiana based record producer, J. D. "Jay" Miller. Miller, via the offices of Excello Records, started Hogan's recording career, at a time when interest in variations of swamp blues was starting to wane. Hogan did nevertheless see the issue of several singles up to 1965, when Miller's disagreement with the record label's new owners brought the recording contract to a swift finale. On some of his recordings, Hogan was backed by the harmonica player, Moses "Whispering" Smith. Hogan had to disband the group, and returned to his full-time job at the Exxon oil refinery. In the late 1970s, Hogan recorded further tracks with both Arhoolie and Blue Horizon.

Hogan died in January 1994 of heart disease, at the age of 82.

Discography

Albums

Year	Title	Label
1965	Trouble at Home	Blue Horizon
1972	Trouble	Excello
1989	I'm a Free Hearted Man	Flyright
1995	So Long Blues	Ace
1999	The Godfather	Wolf Records

Compilation albums

Year	Title	Label	Song by Hogan
1976	Gonna Head for Home	Flyright	"I'm a Free-Hearted Man"
1976	Rooster Crowed for Day	Flyright	"My Baby Walked Out", "Tell Me Baby"
1999	The Excello Story, Vol. 4: 1961-1975	Hip-O Records	"Trouble at Home Blues"
2002	Genuine Excello R&B	Ace	"Go on Pretty Baby"