Hubert Charles Sumlin (November 16, 1931 – December 4, 2011) was a American… Read Full Bio ↴Hubert Charles Sumlin (November 16, 1931 – December 4, 2011) was a American Chicago blues guitarist and singer, best known for his "wrenched, shattering bursts of notes, sudden cliff-hanger silences and daring rhythmic suspensions" as a member of Howlin' Wolf's band. He was ranked number 43 in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and influenced many guitarists.
Sumlin was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and raised in Hughes, Arkansas. He got his first guitar when he was eight years old. As a boy, he met Howlin' Wolf by sneaking into a performance.
Wolf relocated from Memphis to Chicago in 1953, but his longtime guitarist Willie Johnson chose not to join him. In Chicago, Wolf hired the guitarist Jody Williams, but in 1954 he invited Sumlin to move to Chicago to play second guitar in his band. Williams left the band in 1955, leaving Sumlin as the primary guitarist, a position he held almost continuously (except for a brief spell playing with Muddy Waters around 1956) for the remainder of Wolf's career. According to Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf sent him to a classical guitar instructor at the Chicago Conservatory of Music to learn keyboards and scales. Sumlin played on the album Howlin' Wolf (called the "rocking chair album", with reference to its cover illustration), which was named the third greatest guitar album of all time by Mojo magazine in 2004.
Upon Wolf's death in 1976, Sumlin continued playing with several other members of Wolf's band, as the Wolf Pack, until about 1980. He also recorded under his own name, beginning with a session from a tour of Europe with Wolf in 1964. His last solo album was About Them Shoes, released in 2004 by Tone-Cool Records. He underwent lung removal surgery the same year, but he continued performing until just before his death. His final recording, just days before his death, was tracks for an album by Stephen Dale Petit, "Cracking the Code" (333 Records).
Sumlin was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 2008. He was nominated for four Grammy Awards: in 1999 for the album Tribute to Howlin' Wolf, with Henry Gray, Calvin Jones, Sam Lay, and Colin Linden; in 2000 for Legends, with Pinetop Perkins; in 2006, for his solo project About Them Shoes (which features performances by Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Levon Helm, David Johansen and James Cotton) and in 2010 for his contribution to Kenny Wayne Shepherd's Live! in Chicago. He won multiple Blues Music Awards. He was a judge for the fifth annual Independent Music Awards, given to support the careers of independent artists.
Sumlin lived in Totowa, New Jersey, for 10 years before his death, He died of heart failure on December 4, 2011, at the age of 80, in a hospital in Wayne, New Jersey. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards paid Sumlin's funeral expenses.
Sumlin was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and raised in Hughes, Arkansas. He got his first guitar when he was eight years old. As a boy, he met Howlin' Wolf by sneaking into a performance.
Wolf relocated from Memphis to Chicago in 1953, but his longtime guitarist Willie Johnson chose not to join him. In Chicago, Wolf hired the guitarist Jody Williams, but in 1954 he invited Sumlin to move to Chicago to play second guitar in his band. Williams left the band in 1955, leaving Sumlin as the primary guitarist, a position he held almost continuously (except for a brief spell playing with Muddy Waters around 1956) for the remainder of Wolf's career. According to Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf sent him to a classical guitar instructor at the Chicago Conservatory of Music to learn keyboards and scales. Sumlin played on the album Howlin' Wolf (called the "rocking chair album", with reference to its cover illustration), which was named the third greatest guitar album of all time by Mojo magazine in 2004.
Upon Wolf's death in 1976, Sumlin continued playing with several other members of Wolf's band, as the Wolf Pack, until about 1980. He also recorded under his own name, beginning with a session from a tour of Europe with Wolf in 1964. His last solo album was About Them Shoes, released in 2004 by Tone-Cool Records. He underwent lung removal surgery the same year, but he continued performing until just before his death. His final recording, just days before his death, was tracks for an album by Stephen Dale Petit, "Cracking the Code" (333 Records).
Sumlin was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 2008. He was nominated for four Grammy Awards: in 1999 for the album Tribute to Howlin' Wolf, with Henry Gray, Calvin Jones, Sam Lay, and Colin Linden; in 2000 for Legends, with Pinetop Perkins; in 2006, for his solo project About Them Shoes (which features performances by Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Levon Helm, David Johansen and James Cotton) and in 2010 for his contribution to Kenny Wayne Shepherd's Live! in Chicago. He won multiple Blues Music Awards. He was a judge for the fifth annual Independent Music Awards, given to support the careers of independent artists.
Sumlin lived in Totowa, New Jersey, for 10 years before his death, He died of heart failure on December 4, 2011, at the age of 80, in a hospital in Wayne, New Jersey. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards paid Sumlin's funeral expenses.
Blue Shadows
Hubert Sumlin Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Blue Shadows' by these artists:
B.B. King Blues shadows fallin', since my baby went away Blues shadows…
Bing Crosby Hades of night are falling As the wind be-gins to sigh…
Freddie King Blue shadows fallin', since my baby went away now Blue shado…
Hi-Li Sounds (VM) Shades of night are falling, …
Jimmie Dale Gilmore Blue Shadows Devil moon over head Blue Shadows On a…
Steve Martin Chevy Chase Martin Short Arizona move keep shining from the desert sky above. You kno…
The Blasters I've been around the world And every man bleeds the same But…
The Bluetones Arizona moon keep shining, From the desert sky above, You …
the tangram We were in a hotel You took me by the hand…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Hubert Sumlin:
All I Can Do Did what I could, what I could for you Did what…
Don't Judge A Book By The Cover I don't wanna go there We should never go there (damn) Why…
Down In The Bottom Well come over here now Hand me my runnin' shoes Well come…
I Did what I could, what I could for you Did what…
I Can't Loose Did what I could, what I could for you Did what…
Killing Floor Howlin' Wolf I should'a quit you, long time ago I should'a q…
Little By Little I am the little red rooster Too lazy to crow…
Sitting On Top Of The World Work all the summer and all the fall Just trying to…
Sometimes I'm Right Sometimes I am right, Sometimes I am wrong baby, But I tell…
Still Playing the Blues Oh winter trail November night Feeling no pain Losing the fi…
The Red Rooster I am the little red rooster Too lazy to crow…
You Can't Change Me I been gone so long Yeah, baby, I been gone…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@ledzeppelin880
rest in peace Hubert Sumlin the happiest and one of the most influencial guitarists in the world
@rickyforreal247
R.I.P. Hubert Sumlin. Got to see him a couple times and met him with my buddy Sean last January in Costa Mesa on the Crossroads 100th anniversary of Robert Johnson tour. Hubert still had it. You are a legend and a huge influence on guitar players all over the world. Your legacy lives on.
@Kstylie420
Great Blues men don't "pass away". They live on through the power of soul. This ain't disposable like flesh and bones. All the legends got their own club somewhere playing unreal jams keeping the planets aligned.
@MargaretsLight
I can just feel the soul in his blues.,may in the hands of God you rest.
@mrothgeb
one of my favorites, glad to see he lived so long, sad to see him go..
@lefty5757
Yes! Love it! Hubert that's the good stuff!
@Tuck1030
This guy is a great one!!
@BlueRoostar
Hubert Sumlin (November 16, 1931 – December 4, 2011) RIP Hubert.
@Odin029
Is that Otis Rush singing? Because if it's its not then the singer is doing a mighty fine impression of him.
@jaclestrat
a great man