An early artist on Sun Records, Joe Hill Louis was not easily defined in terms of style.  He was a more or less "one man band" whose music sometimes seemed to fall completely apart.  He was very popular in his day however.

His real name was Leslie Hill and he was born in Raines, Tennessee.  He left home at 14 and hobo'd around playing some music where he could.  The name "Joe Louis" for fighting constantly and being good at it.  In the 1940s he developed his one man band act after settling down in Memphis.  He billed himself as "Joe Hill Louis The Be-Bop Boy And His One Man Band."  He became popular playing in around Handy Park, ultimately landing a 15 minute show on WDIA, billed there as "The Pepticon Boy".

Hill recorded some in 1949 for Columbia before signing with Sam Phillips in 1950.  After Phillips sold his contract in 1953 Hill contined to record with various labels, eventually returning to Phillips to record as a solo artist until his untimely death in 1957.  A deep cut on his thumb turned into tetanus and Joe Hill Louis died at the age of 35.