Blues
United States
Hubert Sumlin
![Listen to Red Rooster (with Henry Gray and Howlin' Wolf Band) [Live] by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, see lyrics, music video & more!](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music/74/a5/b9/mzi.enlbwnan.jpg/375x375bb.webp "Listen to Red Rooster (with Henry Gray and Howlin' Wolf Band) [Live] by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, see lyrics, music video & more!")
About Hubert Sumlin
Hometown
Greenwood, MS, United States
Born
November 16, 1931
Genre
Blues
Quiet and extremely unassuming off the bandstand, Hubert Sumlin played a style of guitar incendiary enough to stand tall beside the immortal Howlin' Wolf, who was his mentor for over two decades. It proved a mutually beneficial relationship; Sumlin's twisting, darting, unpredictable lead guitar constantly energized Wolf's 1960s Chess sides, even when the songs were less than stellar. He grew up near West Memphis, Arkansas, briefly playing with harpist James Cotton before joining the mighty Wolf in Chicago in 1954. By the early '60s, Sumlin's slashing axe was a prominent component on the majority of Wolf's waxings, including "Wang Dang Doodle," "Shake for Me," "Hidden Charms" (boasting perhaps Sumlin's greatest recorded solo) and "Killing Floor." Despite their somewhat tempestuous relationship, Sumlin remained loyal to Wolf until the big man's 1976 death. Only in later years did Sumlin allow his vocal talents to shine. His solo sets for Black Top and Blind Pig showed him to be an understated but effective singer -- and his guitar continued to communicate most forcefully.
Similar to: Hubert Sumlin
Discover more music and artists similar to Hubert Sumlin, like Lurrie Bell, Jimmy Dawkins, Magic Slim & The Teardrops
