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T-Bone Walker inspired a legion of young Texas blues guitarists during the years following World War II with his elegant electrified riffs and fat chords. Among his legion of disciples was Houston's Goree Carter, whose big break came when Solomon Kahal signed him to Houston's Freedom Records circa 1949.

Carter's best-known waxing, the torrid "Rock Awhile" (billed to Goree Carter & His Hepcats) emerged not long thereafter, its sizzling opening lick sounding quite a bit like primordial Chuck Berry. Freedom issued plenty of Carter platters over the next few years, and he later recorded for Imperial/Bayou, Sittin' in With, Coral, Jade, and Modern without denting the national charts. Eventually, he left music behind altogether. ~ Bill Dahl