# RIP Hubert Sumlin **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-hubert-sumlin/605094 "2011-12-05T04:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-hubert-sumlin/605094/1 "2011-12-05T04:10:53Z")
Probably the most obscure of all great rock/blues guitarists, Hubert Sumlin was Howlin’ Wolf’s guitarist for decades. Here’s him playing guitar on the classic [Smokestack Lightning.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93xOeEr-USU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL0E89368598ABDFED) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-hubert-sumlin/605094/2 "2011-12-05T04:23:35Z")
An underrated giant of blues guitar. He was a perfect pairing with Howlin’ Wolf. Wolf was a big man and his voice was huge and powerful, Sumlin was much smaller and his guitar playing was quick and fleet. You could often tell he was playing beater guitars and I’ve read that in the old days he often didn’t bother tuning them very much. He just bent the strings to where they were supposed to be. And if you think of the cliches of blues guitar playing - he never played any of those. He always did something that wasn’t obvious. [Here’s Sumlin with Wolf on Spoonful](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0aIjyX7vwI&feature=related). I think his best solo was on Hidden Charms. [Here is Rolling Stone’s entry for Sumlin on its latest “100 Greatest Guitarists” list.](http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/hubert-sumlin-19691231) ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-hubert-sumlin/605094/3 "2011-12-05T04:37:13Z")
Ah, bummer. It was fun seeing him play on Claptons Crossroads Guitar festival releases. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-hubert-sumlin/605094/4 "2011-12-05T14:05:42Z")
Sorry to hear of his passing. Played on a lot of good records. I got to see him once… ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-hubert-sumlin/605094/5 "2011-12-05T15:23:29Z")
Wow, I admit I didn’t know he was alive. I spent a lot of time trying to duplicate those licks… RIP Hubert. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-hubert-sumlin/605094/6 "2011-12-06T02:10:17Z")
RIP Hubert. Awesome player. I read an interview with him in the pre-internet days. Said during the London Howlin’ Wolf Session recording, Eric Clapton took Hubert back to his house. Went to his guitar collection room and Eric told Hubert “pick one you like.” Hubert did a cameo in [Cadillac Records](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uaHXLgyGt4&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL409DC9CD3E0B48C6)movie. He’s the gentleman sitting in the back in front of the drums with the fedora playing a sunburst about 65 seconds into it. There’s tons of youtube stuff including Hubert giving blues lessons. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-hubert-sumlin/605094/7 "2011-12-06T07:19:43Z")
RIP. One of my favorites, and a real innovator. IIRC on those London sides, he said later, 'Sounded like dogshit!" I still like it. That single note rhythm style – I can’t think of a rocker who got that thing down (maybe Keef’s a poor man’s Sumlin!) and made it part of the whole group’s style. Hubert Sumlin was one of the very, very best, and that’s not a humble opinion, or even an opinion, just true fact. Listen to the Reverend Billy Gibbons and tell me you don’t hear Sumlin, or most anyone else who did the rock and roll.