Lowell Fulson was an influential American blues guitarist and songwriter, born on March 31, 1921, on a Choctaw reservation in Atoka, Oklahoma. He claimed Cherokee and Choctaw ancestry. After his father's death during his childhood, Fulson moved with his family to Clarita, Oklahoma. By the age of eighteen, he had joined Alger "Texas" Alexander in Ada, Oklahoma, and later relocated to California, where he formed a band that included Ray Charles and Stanley Turrentine. Fulson served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945.

Fulson was a pivotal figure in the West Coast blues scene, second only to T-Bone Walker in importance during the 1940s and 1950s. He recorded under various labels, including Swing Time, Chess (Checker), Kent, and Rounder. Among his notable compositions are "3 O'Clock Blues," "Reconsider Baby," and "Tramp." His career saw a resurgence with the success of "Black Nights" in 1965 and "Tramp" in 1966.

In 1993, Fulson participated in the California Blues: Swingtime Tribute show and continued to record music, including a duet on Jimmy Rogers' 1999 album. Fulson passed away on March 7, 1999, in Long Beach, California, due to complications from kidney disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. He was survived by his companion Tina Mayfield, four children, and thirteen grandchildren.

Fulson's contributions to music were recognized with multiple awards, including induction into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993 and a Grammy nomination in 1995. His song "Reconsider Baby" was honored as a "Classic of Blues Recording" and included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll."