Blues Guitarist. From 1955 through 1976 he was the lead guitarist in Howlin' Wolf's band. Known for his staccato, percussive playing and use of silence and timing, he was listed as Number 43 in "Rolling Stone" magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Upon Wolf's death in 1976, Hubert Sumlin continued with several other members of the Howlin' Wolf band under the name "The Wolf Pack" until about 1980. He also recorded under his own name, beginning with a session recorded in 1964 while touring Europe with Howlin' Wolf. His final solo release, "About Them Shoes," issued in 2004 by Tone-Cool Records, included guest appearances from rock musicians Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Levon Helm, David Johansen and James Cotton. Undergoing lung removal surgery the same year, he performed at the Crossroads 2010 Guitar Festival with his oxygen tank. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988, and served as judge for the fifth annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers. Recorded and toured with guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd in the last years of his life, issuing Grammy-nominated "Ten Days Out: Blues from the Backroads" and "Live in Chicago."
Blues Guitarist. From 1955 through 1976 he was the lead guitarist in Howlin' Wolf's band. Known for his staccato, percussive playing and use of silence and timing, he was listed as Number 43 in "Rolling Stone" magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Upon Wolf's death in 1976, Hubert Sumlin continued with several other members of the Howlin' Wolf band under the name "The Wolf Pack" until about 1980. He also recorded under his own name, beginning with a session recorded in 1964 while touring Europe with Howlin' Wolf. His final solo release, "About Them Shoes," issued in 2004 by Tone-Cool Records, included guest appearances from rock musicians Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Levon Helm, David Johansen and James Cotton. Undergoing lung removal surgery the same year, he performed at the Crossroads 2010 Guitar Festival with his oxygen tank. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988, and served as judge for the fifth annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers. Recorded and toured with guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd in the last years of his life, issuing Grammy-nominated "Ten Days Out: Blues from the Backroads" and "Live in Chicago."
Bio by: John Andrew Prime
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