LAZY LESTER BENEFIT FEAT. KENNY NEAL, RICK ESTRIN, KYLE ROWLAND, MARK HUMMEL, STEVE FREUND & MORE

Leslie” Lazy Lester” Johnson was born in Baton Rouge, LA. Along with JD Miller, he was a huge part of the Excello Sound from Crowley, LA, that spawned hit records by Slim Harpo, Lightnin Slim, and Lester himself. As a multi-instrumentalist, he is both a session man, A&R man and co-producer on many of the label’s recordings. Lester's most famous records, like Lover Not A Fighter & Sugar Coated Love, have been covered by Dwight Yoakam, Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Kinks, Freddy Fender, and Johnny Winter. Lester appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Lightning in a Bottle, a Gieko Commercial in 2018, and a documentary called I Am The Blues. Lazy is in the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and has more honors. Lester passed away in 2018 in Paradise, CA, from cancer, a month before his home with his wife, Pike Kaksonen, burned to the ground; she escaped with only his guitars and dog. This is both a memorial for him and a benefit to help Pike, as she’s never received compensation. 

Many friends/musicians are getting together to help and honor these two wonderful people. The show includes Blues Hall of Fame member Kenny Neal, BMA winners Rick Estrin and Kid Andersen of the Nightcats, young blues sensation Kyle Rowland, Swing Stars Steve Lucky and Carmen Gettit, blues stalwarts Mark Hummel, Steve Freund, Karl Sevareid, and Paul Revelli. All proceeds go to Kaksonen.