I can still see Hubert’s giant smile as I walked up to him a couple years back here at our Ottawa Blues Festival. He hung out for an entire weekend up here just shooting the breeze with many musicians who idolized him and what he had done for the blues guitar.
Known most for being the ryhthm and then lead guitar player for the great Howlin Wolf in the 1950’s, Hubert is one of the few links to the past of the great electric blues movement – and the little skinny kid always seemed as thankful and unworthy, even when the great Howlin Wolf took him under his wing.
One of the first electric blues guitar players that combined stage presence, charisma and solid mixed rythm and lead guitar, Hubert Sumlin was THE inspiration for many modern artists as varied as the Vaughan Brothers and Eric Clapton to Jimmy Page and the Rolling Stones.
Hubert passed on to join Albert King, Albert Collins, Freddie, Lightning Hopkins and yes, Jimi and Stevie too… man that must be some jam going on up there!
He struggled with health challenges for the last years after taking a stroke that barely seemed to contain him – he still, with the support of those he influenced, was able to tour and share his last years with us.
It could (and should) be argued that the combination of Hubert, Willie Dixon and Howlin Wolf was the baddest, most creative blues band of all time with classics that include “Smokestack Lightning”, and “The Red Rooster” and “Backdoor Man”
You would be hard pressed to see a blues band anywhere that doesn’t know at least one of these classics.
Rolling Stones Step Up To Pay For Hubert’s Funeral
As you may know from reading Hubert’s biographical information, he loved the music (he WAS the music), but had a tough time managing his career and finances…and so found himself just as he had lived most of his life, without a great deal of money. Blues musicians have a tough enough time making ends meet so they can continue to live their dreams, when health issues get in the way it makes things that much tougher.
Today, we get word that the Rolling Stones have stepped up and offered to cover the complete costs of a proper and fitting funeral…now that’s class and paying their dues to one of the early influencers of their music. Good on them…
Sunday and Monday will mark visitation Hubert in Totowa, New Jersey where he had been living with a private funeral to follow on Tuesday in Illinois for
So we continue on, down yet another legendary blues stringer with the sincere hope that others will take up the cause, live for the soul of blues and take over the baton for the next stage of the run…who will it be?
Goodnight Hubert, and god’s speed.
Filed under Blues Legends by on Dec 9th, 2011. Comment. 
What better way to kick off the Smokin Blues Guitar blog than to pay homage to one of greatest blues guitarists and all around nice guys still on the blues circuit today.
Hubert Sumlin was born on November 16th, 1931 in Mississippi and raised in Arkansas – endorsed by the great Howlin” Wolf who brought him up to Chicago. There he learned his chops, developed his style and created the sound behind some of the best blues classics of all time.
Do yourself a favor and head over to his official website now – check out his Gallery where you will see nearly every influential music star that matters, all of them want to be with Hubert.
I had the chance to see Hubert up close this past weekend here at the Ottawa Blues Festival where he hung out for 3-days before moving on to Mt Tremblant – a couple hour drive from here to join Robert Cray.
My first siting was watching local band Monkey Junk (a hugely talented trio in their own right), where I see this person doing some mean air drumming and air guitar to the tastey blues licks of the boys. Since I was right up front, I poked my ahead around to see stage right and there is Hubert Sumlin jiving away with Monkey Junk – that was Friday evening, he had arrived for a set of gigs on Saturday and Sunday.
The local guys – Tony D, Steve Mariner and Matt Sobb were humbled and giddy at the fact that Sir Hubert was taking in their set, and purely enjoying what he was hearing by the way.
Along came Saturday and Hubert took the Hard Rock Stage (one of 6 stages at Ottawa Bluesfest), it was a terrific set with some very tastey blues.
It struck me like thunder how many giant blues hits he has put his own flavor to over the last 50-years – Killing Floor, Going Down Slow, and my personal favorite from this concert, Sitting On Top of The World!
As if that weren’t enough, I got to say hi to him (and received a huge Hubert smile and wave) as he passed by a group of us lined up to see Doyle Bramhall perform later that afternoon.
Sunday came, and yet another priveledged Hubert Sumlin concert – this time he put something extra into the mix throwing some additional songs into the mix, sometimes completely mystifying his band, but he sure knew what he was doing – they had to catch up.
Here’s a terrific set of clips of “Hubert blues licks” – see if you don’t recognize some of these:
What struck me more than anything else though over these 3 days is how vibrant, energetic and positive a person Hubert is. He brought the festival to life – he walks with the aura of thousands of blues greats before him and will have influenced thousands after…their aren’t many gentelman left in this world like Hubert Sumlin…it just so happens he is also a living legend of the blues guitar.
Do you have a Hubert Sumlin story or favorite moment to share? Leave a comment and let us hear about it.
Filed under Blues Legends by on Jul 15th, 2009. Comment.
