A TRibute to Sam “Lightin” Hopkins
A Very Good Day
{The Late “Kinny Abair” unplugged}
AKA
Herbert William McKinny
BIO

Herbert William McKinney “Aka” Kinny Abair was the son of Katie and James McKinney born, October 16, 1938, in Refugio, Texas. At the age of five years old, Kinny made his own guitar and taught himself to play. Studying Violin at the age of 12, his father bought him his first guitar. Kinny quickly perfected his craft as a jazz/blues guitarist. Kinny broke into the music scene with master musicianship as he dazzled audience.

 After a stint in the Navy, Abair studied at The Berkley College of Music, in Boston.  Kinny moved back to Texas to make a career in music. Kinny roared into the music scene with masterful guitar musicianship and began dazzling his audiences throughout his long lifetime of performing.

 This versatile artist has played his hollow body guitar for audiences across the United State and Europe. His distinctive blues sound influenced by such greats as Brown McGee, Billy Bizor, Johnny Clyde Copeland and his father’s friend Sam “Lightnin” Hopkins. Lightnin asked Kinny to continue his guitar style and carry on his memory.

 On February 15, 2003, passed on and Kinny joined Johnny Clyde Copeland, Muddy Waters, Miles Davis, Sam “Lightnin” Hopkins and other to perform in The Big Band upstairs.

 Kinny Abair’s Credits include performances at the, Annual Houston Jazz Festival, Houston Blues Fest, and Dan Electro’s 9^th Annueal Blues Jam, the television miniseries Woman of Independent means starring Sally Fields, the movie Robo Cop, the soundtrack for “The Strange Demise Jim Crow, a critically acclaimed documentary about the end of segregation, the Alley Theatre in Houston production of August Wilson’s Seven Guitars.  

His last CD recorded in 1999 titled, A “Very Good Day” a Tribute to Sam “Lightin” Hopkins, features “Wig Song, Jump Jump Her, Mr. Charley” and others by “Lightin” along with songs written by Kinny for “Lightin” “A very good day, Graveyard Blues, Bowlegged Woman” to name a few. The entire CD is recorded and performs in true “Lightin Hopkins” traditionally acoustical guitar unplugged style. A great rendition of what and who “Sam Lightin Hopkins was. 

Distributed by AD Records * PO Box 8402 * Houston, Texas 77288

713-867-5990 * FAX/office 713-675-7802
aubrey@bluesdog.com * www.Bluesdog.com

Kinny Abair Audio Clips

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