06 December 2011
Andy Snipper
On Sunday, one of Blues greatest remaining originals passed aged 80
Hubert Sumlin was one of Chicago's greatest.
He played on all of Howlin' Wolf's hits, was 'poached' for a while by Muddy Waters and was a massive influence on a galaxy of guitar greats.
He was cited by Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton as one of their favorite and most influential heroes and all of them played with him at one time or another.
His playing on 'Killing Floor' and 'Wang Dang Doodle' showed that he could swing between the howling majesty and romping fun of the Blues and the roar he produced on 'Three Hundred Pounds of Joy' can be heard in the riffing of Jimmy Page or Slash to this day. His work on 'Smokestack Lightning' is generally considered to be the making of Wolf's career.
He had been suffering from Lung Cancer since 2002, had a lung removed in 2004 and saw his medical bills eased by Keith Richards in recent years.
Sumlin's last public performance was at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Ark., in October and he cancelled a planned performance of Robert Johnson classics due to illness (as did the recently passed David 'Honeyboy' Edwards).
Though nominated for several Grammys, Sumlin never won, yet he achieved the highest esteem of his peers.
Sumlin had no surviving children
Funeral arrangements are pending but he will be buried next to his wife in Washington Memory Gardens Cemetery, in Homewood, Ill.
Pic by Terence Antonio James
