The veteran blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin has died at the age of 80. While never a star frontman, he defined rhythm guitar in the blues; a sideman to Howlin' Wolf and voted as #43 of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list by Rolling Stone .....
The native of Greenwood, Mississippi was best-known for his work with Howlin' Wolf (who is on the right in the 1st photo) but was also on many other legendary Chess Records recordings. He was well-known to rock musicians who performed on his last album in 2004. Jimmy Page said, "He always played the right thing at the right time."
He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of fame several years ago and had been scheduled to appear at this year’s Chicago Blues Festival with David 'Honeyboy' Edwards in a tribute to Robert Johnson. They both canceled their appearances due to health issues, and Honeyboy Edwards died at age 95 on Aug. 29. And considering that we lost Pinetop Perkins this past March ... one feels like a shepherd losing sheep, with so many great blues legends departing this earth.
Here is the original recording of Howlin' Wolf's classic Smokestack Lightning - which many musicians have covered, including Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, John Mayer, George Thorogood, Manfred Mann and The Who. Ranked at #285 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone, at this link is the original, with Hubert Sumlin on guitar.