James Booker III was born in New Orleans in December, 17 1939. He was classically trained on piano from the age of six, at which time his astounding talents were already evident, and he was considered a child prodigy. He found his way into the local music scene as a young teenager recording his first single, Doin' the Hambone, at fourteen. Although it failed commercially, Booker got extensive studio work as a result, including uncredited 'ghost' piano tracks for Fats Domino. Throughout high school, booker played regularly with many local and regional bands, while still maintaining an excellent academic record.
After graduating, Booker hit the road with Joe Tex, and spent the next several years gigging with various bands including Earl King, Dee Clark and Huey 'Piano' Smith and the Clowns (actually replacing Huey who preferred not to tour). In 1960, Booker recorded what would be his most commercially successful song, the organ-driven instrumental 'Gonzo'. Despite reaching number 10 on the Billboard RandB charts, the single failed to spawn a successful solo career for Booker, who spent the rest of the decade backing up many obscure acts and several better-known ones, including Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin.
In 1970, Booker was arrested on drug charges, and went to prison for several years. Upon his release, he spent some moderately successful years in New York and los Angeles. He performed and recorded with such diverse artists as Ringo Starr, T-Bone Walker, Jerry Garcia, Lionel Hampton and even Dr. John, who'd been an informal student of Booker's several years earlier. At some point during this period, he lost his left eye. There are varied stories as to how this happened: a street fight over a financial dispute, a prison brawl, or the use of a dirty syringe. Ultimately no one knows for sure.
Booker retuned to New Orleans in 1975, and played a highly successful solo set at the Jazz and Heritage Festival that same year. That performance proved to be a turning point in his career, leading to a
