Louis Hooper

Louis Stanley Hooper (May 18, 1894, North Buxton, Ontario - September 17, 1977, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) was a Canadian jazz pianist.

Hooper was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan and attended the Detroit Conservatory, where he played locally in dance orchestras in the 1910s. He then moved to New York City around 1920; he recorded with Elmer Snowden and Bob Fuller frequently in the middle of the decade, and performed with both of them in Harlem as well as with other ensembles. Hooper served for some time as the house pianist for Ajax Records and accompanied many blues singers on record, including Martha Copeland, Rosa Henderson, Lizzie Miles, Monette Moore, and Ethel Waters. He participated in the Blackbirds revue of 1928.

In 1932, Hooper returned to Canada, where he played in Mynie Sutton's dance band, the Canadian Ambassadors. He did local work solo and in ensembles for the next two decades, then was brought back into the limelight by the Montreal Vintage Music Society in 1962. Hooper released an LP of ragtime piano tunes in 1973 entitled Lou Hooper, Piano. He taught at the University of Prince Edward Island late in his life and appeared regularly on CBC television in Halifax.

His papers, which include unpublished compositions and an autobiography, are now held at the National Library of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario.

Birth and Death Data: Born North Buxton, Ontario, Died September 17, 1977

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, composer, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 76-93 of 93 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Plaza 5700 10-in. 11/3/1924 Broken busted, can't be trusted blues Julia Moody Female vocal solo, with cornet, banjo, and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 5701 10-in. 11/3/1924 Don't forget, you'll regret (Day by day) Julia Moody Female vocal solo, with cornet, banjo, and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 5741 10-in. 11/22/1924 Let's agree to disagree Jazz Casper ; Josie Miles Female-male vocal duet, with cornet, banjo, and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 5786 10-in. 12/15/1924 A good man is hard to find Female vocalist (Unidentified; Plaza/ARC) Female vocal solo, with trombone, cornet, and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 5787 10-in. 12/15/1924 Blind man blues Female vocalist (Unidentified; Plaza/ARC) Female vocal solo, with clarinet, cornet, and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 5800 10-in. 1/6/1925 Nobody knows the way I feel dis mornin' Female vocalist (Unidentified; Plaza/ARC) Female vocal solo, with trombone, clarinet, and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 5827 10-in. 1/26/1925 Bitter feelin' blues Josie Miles Female vocal solo, with saxophones and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 5828 10-in. 1/26/1925 Thunderstorm blues Josie Miles Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 5829 10-in. 1/26/1925 It's the last time I'll be a pastime for you Jazz Casper ; Josie Miles Female-male vocal duet, with saxophones and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 6852 10-in. 9/29/1926 I'm savin' it all for you Rosa Henderson Female vocal solo, with cornet, clarinet, and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 6859 10-in. 10/5/1926 I needs a plenty grease in my frying pan Female vocalist (Unidentified; Plaza/ARC) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 6860 10-in. 10/5/1926 Crap shootin' Papa, Mama done caught your dice Female vocalist (Unidentified; Plaza/ARC) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 7820 10-in. 2/29/1928 Nobody shows what my baby shows Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 7821 10-in. 2/29/1928 Second hand daddy Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 7822 10-in. 2/29/1928 A good man is hard to find Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 7953 10-in. 5/2/1928 Shake it down Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 7954 10-in. 5/2/1928 Banjo papa (Stop pickin' on me) Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
Plaza 7955 10-in. 5/2/1928 Your worries ain't like mine Lizzie Miles Female vocal solo, with clarinet and piano instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 76-93 of 93 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hooper, Louis," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110982.

Hooper, Louis. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110982.

"Hooper, Louis." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110982

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.