(1888PressRelease)
October 29, 2009 - "The Doctors' Prescription for Healthy Living" magazine (sometimes referred to as "Healthy Living") announced today they will publish a 'Healthy Viewpoints' column written by John Lee Hooker, Jr., the two-time Grammy-nominated musician and son of the legendary blues musician John Lee Hooker. The column will discuss the health benefits of listening to music, and the monthly magazine will be distributed to health food stores nationwide in November.
"Music doesn't just distract us from the many problems people face; it heals, harmonizes, energizes, opens up channels of ecstasy." These words and others from Hooker are featured in his column: "Music can change your mood instantly, relieve stress, lower your heart rate, and even relieve depression (no wonder in the Bible David played the harp!)"
Hooker points out that many people are feeling the blues these days; he refers to current economic stresses, war in the Middle East, and climate change. He says, "Things have been tough everywhere.... Just about everyone is feeling the money blues and scared about when the other shoe will drop." Hooker's message is that music can be quite beneficial to our health during stressful times like these. He reminds us that "the heart rate slows and breathing becomes deeper and more relaxed when we hear music" and also that "the body's production of the feel-good hormone serotonin increases." For these reasons, he asserts "music truly heals."
Hooker refers to the title song of his father's Grammy-award-winning album "The Healer" (released in 1989). Hooker says, "[My father] showed us that music is the great healing force of the universe." The lyrics to "The Healer" (performed with Carlos Santana on leader guitar) include "[The] blues [is] a healer all over the world... it healed me, it can heal you."
Hooker recommends taking a 20-minute 'sound bath' at least once a day. He says, "Pick some music you really love (for me it could be Etta James, Eric Clapton, even my own or my father's albums), lie comfortably near the speakers or wear headphones, and let yourself be immersed in the sounds. Relax."
Hooker continues, "People come to my concerts to lose themselves in the big rhythms and beat.... Grooving, paradoxically, can be calming and relaxing.... People want to forget about their troubles. People want to let their bodies 'talk' or communicate through movement their day's various emotions. They want to work things out somatically and emotionally while being [immersed in sounds and lyrics] which lift them up and past their situation."
David Steinman, the editor and publisher of "Healthy Living", says the magazine is proud to have Hooker contribute. Says Steinman, "John Lee Hooker, Jr. and his father were both great blues men. And they are right: The blues heal, and music can be great for your health and well-being. We hope that all of our readers take John Lee Hooker, Jr.'s advice and 'Put some music in [their] life.'"
About John Lee Hooker, Jr.
John Lee Hooker, Jr., son of the legendary blues musician John Lee Hooker, was exposed to the blues from a very young age. At eight years old, he performed on Detroit's WJBK radio and knew from that moment he wanted to follow the path of his father and become a world-class musician. Touring alongside Hooker, Sr. throughout his teens, he performed in prestigious venues such as Detroit's Fox Theatre with acclaimed musicians like Jimmy Reed. In 1972, at age eighteen, he sang vocals alongside his father for the recording of Live at Soledad Prison.
Unfortunately, Hooker, Jr. succumbed to the demons that surround the life of many musicians, derailing his musical career for many years. Drugs, alcohol, divorce, incarceration, and death nearly brought his once promising career to a screeching halt, but the blues and his faith in the Almighty resurrected Hooker. With the support of his family, friends, and a crew of talented musicians who never ceased to believe in him, Hooker, Jr. finally found his own inner muse to make music that expresses the depth of emotion he experienced in his personal life.
Hooker, Jr.’s first album "Blues with a Vengeance" (2004) earned a Grammy nomination in the Traditional Blues Album category and was nominated for the distinguished W.C. Handy Award of Best New Artist Debut. The California Music Awards named Blues with a Vengeance 2004's Outstanding Blues Album of the Year, and the Bay Area Blues Society presented Hooker, Jr. with the 2004 Comeback Artist of the Year award, as he performed alongside world-class musicians Jimmy Reed, B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Lenny Kravitz, Taj Mahal, Koko Taylor, Charlie Musselwhite, Etta James, and his father John Lee Hooker.
In 2008, Hooker Jr.'s third album "All Odds Against Me" earned him his second Grammy nomination. Hooker, Jr. has been described by critics as "a rapper who also happens to be a bluesman," and "has done his daddy proud."
Learn more at www.johnleehookerjr.com.
About "The Doctors' Prescription for Healthy Living" magazine
"The Doctors' Prescription for Healthy Living" magazine is published monthly by Freedom Press Media, a cutting-edge publisher of natural health and environmental books located near Los Angeles, California. Known for its scientifically focused articles about natural health products and solutions, DPHL is distributed to health foods stores, bookstores, newsstands, health care practitioners, and individual subscribers nationwide. Look for DPHL articles online at www.healthylivingmag.com or by following "dphealthyliving" on Twitter.
You can hear DPHL's editor David Steinman interview natural health experts on "Green Patriot Radio" at www.greenpatriotradio.com.
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