Gibson is proud to introduce the "Lovell" ES-330 hollow body guitar; a tribute to Slim Harpo and his wife Lovell, a creative tandem that developed a unique sound and produced chart-topping hits during the 50s and early 60s.
The new Gibson Slim Harpo “Lovell” ES-330 hollow body guitar is part tribute, part historical artifact that celebrates the influential, albeit short career of James H. Moore aka Slim Harpo. Slim was a working man’s blues man from Lobdell, Louisiana; holding down 9 to 5 gigs as a longshoreman, and iron scrap hauler in addition to his side hustle as an artist. His wife and collaborator; Lovell, for whom the guitar is named was a huge influence and contributor to Slim’s evolution as performer and song writer. Together they forged a creative partnership that yielded pop-crossover success in the late 50’s and 60s, an era that was less than kind to black artists. Despite this, it didn’t take long for others to recognize and be inspired by Harpo’s talent and unique take on the Blues; a subgenre he unwittingly created appropriately called Louisiana Swamp Blues. Slim’s most popular tune “I’m a King Bee” achieved cross-over success at a time when that was far from the norm. Other artists also achieved chart successes with their covers of “King Bee” including the Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Lou Rawls, and Muddy Waters among others. While Slim’s time on the planet was short, his impact and influence are and will continue to inspire for generations to come.
