He was one of a small number of one-man blues bands (along with fellow Memphis bluesman Doctor Ross) to have recorded commercially in the 1950s.

Louis was born Lester (or possibly Leslie) Hill[3] on September 23, 1921,[4] in Raines, Tennessee, now part of Memphis.

[6] His most notable electric blues single, "Gotta Let You Go" b/w "Boogie in the Park" (recorded in July 1950 and released the following month as part number 9001/9002), featured Louis performing "one of the loudest, most overdriven, and distorted guitar stomps ever recorded" while also playing a rudimentary drum kit.

He also shared writing credit for the song "Tiger Man", which has been recorded by Thomas and Elvis Presley, among others.

[10] Louis died on August 5, 1957, in John Gaston Hospital, in Memphis,[4] at the age of 35, of tetanus contracted as a result of an infected cut on his thumb, sustained while he was working as an odd job man.