How “the most original” guitarist was forgotten by history, according to Stevie Ray Vaughan
While Stevie Ray Vaughan was a much-celebrated guitarist from a young age, the fact that his life was cut tragically short meant that he perhaps wasn’t given enough time to shine as a master of his instrument. Despite this unfortunate curtailing of his career, he is still regarded as one of the greatest guitarists to have ever walked this earth, not just in the world of blues but across all genres.
However, what is more unfortunate is that some guitarists whose lives have gone on longer haven’t had quite the same recognition for their exploits, often being pushed into the background by titans such as Vaughan and their prowess. They might not have been quite as notorious for their work, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they were on the same level as the likes of Vaughan and could’ve held their own at the top.
Importantly, Vaughan was always fond of bigging up other artists who he believed deserved more attention and would regularly ensure that the right people were receiving the respect they deserved. Regularly singing praises of lesser-known names such as Denny Freeman, Doyle Bramhall II and even jazz players like Kenny Burrell, Vaughan was able to identify talent when he saw it. Being the master musician that he was, he knew when to credit other players who impacted his playing style.
One name that Vaughan considered to be up there with some of the most underrated players of all time was Howlin’ Wolf’s band member Hubert Sumlin. While celebrated by those in the know and with a keen eye on the happenings in the world of blues, he is often relegated to a degree of comparative obscurity due to always having been better known as a sideman for the legendary blues musician. Unfortunately, he isn’t touted as being one of the greats in his own right.
In a 1985 interview, Vaughan described Sumlin as “probably the heaviest, most original guitar player I ever heard in my life,” adding, “I ain’t ever seen a grown man jump up and down and have so much fun when he plays on his guitar.” In a later interview, Vaughan would go on to praise Sumlin’s talents further, stating how he was “the driving force behind Howlin’ Wolf” and that “he wrote a lot of those songs, and nobody ever mentioned his name.”
Sumlin’s story of how he met Howlin’ Wolf in the first place is an interesting one, considering he was only around 12 years old at the time. Having snuck into a performance where he was crawling between the legs of other audience members, Howlin’ Wolf noticed the young Sumlin and asked him to sit still on stage before the bouncers removed him from the building again. Once he escorted the young fan home, he apparently told his mother not to scold him for his misbehaviour, allegedly requesting her, “Don’t punish him, he just wanted to hear the music.”
He would then go on to work with his idol from 1954 until his death in 1976, at which point Sumlin would continue performing alongside other members of Howlin’ Wolf’s live band and begin to forge a career for himself as a solo performer and session musician. Why his name isn’t ever mentioned alongside the greatest players of all time, considering his virtuosic talents is a mystery, but at least Vaughan was able to recognise his excellence and keep his name alive.
