Born in northeast Texas, blues artist Smokey Hogg came from a clan that included blues singers Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Hogg. One of seven children, he learned to play the guitar and piano from his father, and looked upon music as a means of escape from labor in the fields. He sang around Dallas and Greenville and was popular enough to be known as "Little Peetie Wheatstraw" after his idol. In 1937 he recorded two tracks for Decca Records which made no impression on the blues-buying public of the time. He fought in World War II, and in 1947 he recorded "Too Many Drivers," released under Modern Records. He next recorded his biggest hit, "Little School Girl," for Modern. Now established, he began, like many of his contemporaries, to hop from label to label, recording for Specialty, Imperial, SIW, Mercury, and many smaller concerns.