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 His papers, which include unpublished compositions and an autobiography, are now held at the National Library of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario.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 |
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
External Sources
Wikipedia: Louis Hooper
Discogs: Louis Hooper
Allmusic: Louis Hooper
Grove: Louis Hooper
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Hooper, Louis, 1894-1977 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no98056188
Wikidata: Louis Hooper - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6685556
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/9460900
MusicBrainz: Louis Hooper - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c11d13bd-28c1-430a-8777-f78886e4f033
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