Sidemen for the Blues – Hubert Sumlin
Introduction: The Hidden Legacy of Supporting Musicians
It is often the fate of supporting musicians that they fail to achieve the notoriety they may richly deserve. Which is to say, few sidemen ever achieve widespread recognition among the general public. Hubert Sumlin is a case in point. ‘
While not widely recognized outside of music circles, he is considered one of the finest guitar players and sidemen in music history. In fact, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Sumlin as number 43 in their “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”, ranking higher than such luminaries as Albert Collins, Rory Gallagher, Peter Green and others. He is primarily associated with his work with Howlin’ Wolf, although he played with other blues icons as well, most notably Muddy Waters.
Early Life and Musical Influences
Born in 1931 in Mississippi, and raised in Arkansas, Sumlin received his first guitar at the age of 6 from his mother, who spent an entire week’s wages on the instrument. At first, he gravitated toward jazz, and his early inspiration was jazz guitarist Charlie Christian. But after discovering the music of blues luminaries such as Robert Johnson and Charlie Patton, he began dabbling in the blues, much to his mother’s consternation who warned him about playing “the devil’s music.” Like many early blues musicians, Sumlin started out in music by playing guitar in his local church, and he would find ways to weave in blues riffs into the gospel tunes he was playing. By his teens, he was performing the blues at informal settings and local juke joints with his lifelong friend, the celebrated harmonica player James Cotton.
Meeting Howlin’ Wolf and Early Career
Sumlin first encountered Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Burnett) as a pre-teen. Wolf was performing in a local club, and Sumlin snuck in to hear him play, standing on a stack of soda crates. When someone tugged on one of the crates, Sumlin lost his footing and fell right on top of Wolf. Instead of throwing the young Sumlin out of the club, Howlin’ Wolf insisted that the boy sit on stage with him and even drove Sumlin home after the gig.
Several years later, when Wolf was relocating to Chicago, he asked Sumlin to join him as one of his guitarists after incumbent guitarist Willie Johnson decided to stay in Memphis. Within a year, Sumlin was the lead guitarist, and except for a six-month stint with Muddy Water’s band in 1956, played with Howlin’ Wolf until Wolf’s death in 1976.
The Relationship Between Sumlin and Howlin’ Wolf
Howlin’ Wolf had a relationship with Sumlin that might be best described as fatherly. For the most part, the benevolent connection Wolf had with Sumlin from that first encounter in Sumlin’s youth, carried over into their professional association. When Wolf realized that Sumlin could not read music he sent Sumlin to the Chicago Conservatory of Music to be tutored by a classical guitar instructor who taught him musical scales and how to identify notes being played.
They were known to have a few physical altercations, including a legendary fight in which Wolf knocked a few teeth out of Sumlin’s mouth, but they would always make up. Even Sumlin’s brief flirtation with Muddy Waters’ band, considered by Wolf to be a betrayal at the time because of the fierce rivalry between the two bluesmen, was forgiven and Sumlin was allowed to return to the fold. Although their bond was certainly complex, when Howlin’ Wolf passed away in 1976, the funeral program listed Sumlin as Wolf’s son.
Musical Style and Innovations
Hubert Sumlin’s playing style was unique, as he avoided traditional blues structures in favor of poignant jazz-tinged fills. He could move effortlessly between rhythm and lead guitar, making frequent use of cluster chords to craft a “dirty blues” tone. Although early on, he made use of a guitar pick, eventually he gravitated toward exclusively using his fingers to play because it resulted in a richer, more soulful sound. His solos have been described as “soaring” and “slashing”, and they became a template for future blues and rock guitarists.
Solo Career and Collaborations
After Howlin’ Wolf’s death, he and other members of Wolf’s backing band continued to perform together as the Wolf Gang for several years, finally dispersing in 1980. However, his career as a solo artist traces back to 1964 with the release of American Folk Blues in Germany. In the ensuing years he would release such notable albums as Hubert Sumlin’s Blues Party (1987), Heart & Soul (1989), and About Them Shoes (2005). Sumlin also collaborated with a wide variety of artists in the music world over the years including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Levon Helm, Mick Jagger, and many others.
Legacy and Influence on Future Musicians
Sumlin’s impact on blues and rock guitarists who followed him was significant. Many noteworthy guitarists view him as an early guitar role model, and he was held in high regard. When Howlin’ Wolf was set to record his London Sessions (1971) album in collaboration with several rock artists for Chess Records, the record label did not want to incur the expense of sending Sumlin over to record.
When Clapton found out, he intervened, telling Chess Records “If Hubert’s not there, I don’t record.” Jimi Hendrix often cited Sumlin as an influence, as Sumlin had been a trailblazer in the use of distortion, an effect Hendrix experimented with extensively in his recording career. Jimmy Page credited Sumlin’s work with Howling Wolf as being a key component in Led Zeppelin’s sound. In 1976, after Howlin’ Wolf’s death, Sumlin moved briefly from Chicago to Austin, Texas, where he became involved in the local music scene, greatly influencing Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan. Keith Richards had long been a disciple of Sumlin, and by the early 2000s had become a close friend. The list goes on and on.
Later Life, Illness, and Death
In 2002, Sumlin was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery to remove one of his lungs. His medical expenses were covered by some of his friends in the music community including the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. His health continued to decline, and he suffered a stroke and heart attack in 2011. He finally passed away in December of 2011, and his funeral was paid for by Richards and Mick Jagger, a loving tribute to the impact Hubert Sumlin had on their musical careers.
