Carl D. Hogan (October 15, 1917 – July 8, 1977) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

guitarist and bassist. He is known for playing the lead guitar riff on

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the King ...

's " Ain't That Just Like a Woman (They'll Do It Every Time)" which was later imitated by

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

for his hit "

Johnny B. Goode "Johnny B. Goode" is a song by American musician Chuck Berry, written and sung by Berry in 1958. Released as a Single (music), single in 1958, it peaked at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot R&B Sides chart and number eight on its pre ...

Early life and career

Hogan was born to Broadus Henry Hogan and his wife Luerena, Bob L. Eagle, Eric S. LeBlanc, ''Blues: A Regional Experience'', ABC-CLIO, 2013, p.267
/ref> possibly in Louina, Alabama. He spent time as a child in Tallapoosa and

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, and also in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

where his father was a preacher. Census records describe the family as "

mulatto ( , ) is a Race (human categorization), racial classification that refers to people of mixed Sub-Saharan African, African and Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the ...

". Other sources state that he was raised in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. By 1940 he was living in

Conway, Arkansas Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. The city also serves as a regional shopping, ...

. His early musical career included stints on guitar and bass with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra and George Hudson's Orchestra. Hogan was recruited to join

's Tympany Five as a temporary bass player. Jordan had wanted Po Simkins as a bassist, however Simkins was unable to give Jordan his release date from the

US Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except ...

and as a result until Simkins was discharged from the military, Hogan filled in as Jordan's bassist. With Jordan's band, Hogan appeared on the soundtracks to '' Look Out Sister'' (1946), ''Beware'' (1946), and '' Reet, Petite, and Gone'' (1948). He performed on numerous recordings with Jordan, including " Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", " Don't Worry 'Bout That Mule", " Ain't That Just Like a Woman (They'll Do It Every Time)", " Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens", " Jack, You're Dead", " Let the Good Times Roll", " Open the Door, Richard", " Boogie Woogie Blue Plate", and " Early in the Mornin'. On 1946's "Ain't That Just Like a Woman (They'll Do It Every Time)", Hogan first recorded the guitar riff that was to become "the most famous signature in rock 'n' roll". Hogan continued to record with Jordan and the Tympany Five until 1949.

Influence

used Hogan's riff in 1958 – almost note-for-note – as the introduction to "

". Berry also used a similar riff in "

Roll Over Beethoven "Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the A-side and B-side, B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be a ...

", released one year earlier. On describing his use of the riff, Berry said:

Death

Hogan died in St. Louis in 1977, aged 59.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hogan, Carl 1917 births 1977 deaths American jazz guitarists Jazz musicians from St. Louis 20th-century American guitarists Guitarists from Missouri American male guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians