 John Sauter grew up in Decatur, Illinois, and began playing bass guitar at age 14.He moved to Chicago, and was soon playing with many Chicago blues musicians such as Otis Spann, and Sam Lay, and rock & roll legends Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, as well as Corky Siegel and the Siegel–Schwall Band.He moved to Detroit and began playing with John Lee Hooker, along with drummer Muruga Booker, where they were billed as Hooker and Booker.