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On Saturday, August 22, 2026, the John Lee Hooker Foundation presents the Inaugural Life & Legacy Celebration at Aretha's Jazz Café at Music Hall in Detroit. This is the first annual fundraising event of its kind, bringing together music, history, and community in the city where John Lee Hooker built his sound.

Hooker arrived in Detroit in 1943 during the Great Migration. His music grew into the raw, rhythmic, hypnotic style that shaped generations of musicians around the world. His story is musical, cultural, historical, and deeply Detroit. This celebration honors all of it.

WHAT THE EVENING HOLDS

You will experience a full program built to celebrate the man and the music:

VIP Boogie Chillen Bourbon Tasting Experience, an exclusive hour for VIP guests featuring John Lee Hooker Legacy Spirits, blues storytelling, and tribute moments that bring Hooker's life into the room. A featured showcase of six artists performing in the spirit of the blues. A presentation on the Foundation's mission and its impact on young people across the region. Family legacy remarks and partner recognition. A surprise finale and an all-artist closing jam

EVENING OVERVIEW

• 6:00 PM - VIP Hour - Boogie Chillen Bourbon Tasting Experience, heavy hor'dors from Fixin's restaurant, Swag bag just for you with a special handmade gift and music to boot.
• 7:00 PM - Doors open and general admission seating begins
• 7:30 PM - Opening tribute and welcome

• 7:45 PM to 8:45 PM - Featured artist showcase with six performances backed up by ONE BAND GLOBAL w/Valdez Brantley featuring:

  ZAKIYA HOOKER, TOSHA OWENS, SMOKE JONES, LADY CHAMPAGNE, RONDELL HOOKER, JIMMY D. SCOTT, LYNN MARIE, DEJEANA BURKES

• 8:45 PM - Partner and sponsor recognition
• 9:00 PM - Foundation impact presentation and family legacy remarks
• 9:30 PM - Surprise finale and all-artist closing jam
• 10:00 PM - Closing remarks

WHY IT MATTERS

The John Lee Hooker Foundation continues this legacy by empowering youth through music, education, and cultural enrichment. The Foundation guides children toward constructive ways to express themselves, build confidence, and discover their potential. When you join this celebration, you support programs that expand access to arts based learning for young people who will carry the music forward.

This celebration is presented in partnership with Aretha's Jazz Café at Music Hall, Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Black Spirits Legacy, and John Lee Hooker Legacy Spirits.

DETAILS

• Date: Saturday, August 22, 2026
• VIP Experience: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
• General Admission: 7:00 PM
• Venue: Aretha's Jazz Café at Music Hall, Detroit, Michigan

Honoring the past. Celebrating the present. Building the future.

Reserve your seat and boogie with the Hook.