Talkin' Blues - Hubert Sumlin Interview 

I knew Hubert since I was a child. And Wolf .They took me under their wings.To keep the rain off of me. Wolf bought me my first harps, and put them in my hands. My family tree was broken. Wolf and Hubert became as family to me. They felt my care. They saved my life. And pulled my boots on me and hipped me. I would sit with My beloved Uncle Hubert and quietly we would talk together. I was blessed.Truly blessed. When Wolf passed away It messed me up bad. I drank hard liquor over it. Uncle Hubert straightened my ass out one night in Cambridge Mass.That was the end of my liquor drinking. I miss My beloved Uncle Hubert every day. I give Honor and Respect always to His memory, and Wolf they were my foundation.....!!!

I love listening to the elders talk. They teach so much. Their wisdom is refreshing, honest and invaluable. I'm so happy they had this interview.

You know reading the comments about the man who called me his twin really touches my heart. I am the man I am today because I had a great leader to follow. I am like him in almost every being of our spirits except I can't play the guitar. Music was never an interest to me even though some of my brothers got bitten by it and signed with Stax Records in 1968. Thanks to all of you for the wonderful comments my dad would be proud. Jay Sumlin

Brookes Brothers honored this man with their song The Way. Love it :)

I love the way this guy talks. I'd listen to him tell stories all day.

Hubert had a touch on the guitar that can't be duplicated.

Hubert Sumlin, always straight from the heart. Watch and learn!

THat was a great interview. "I am going to make you feel what I feel" . Isn't that great? Instead of the big ego "look at me and how great I am" that mostly goes on these days with lots of musicians and artists. Mr. Sumlin played authentically from his soul listening to the music around him and fitting in with great feel and imagination and Howlin' Wolf helped him to get that. That story was amazing. He had to go to the very bottom of humility to find who he was as a musician. Amazing. Would not happen these days in the cancel culture crap we live in. Don't hurt anyone's feelings even if it is for their own good. Life is not fair. Life can be tough. Being fired in front of 500 people you can hear the pain in Hubert's voice recalling that. But ....it helped him grow. The growth mindset. Howlin' Wolf was a brilliant and thoughtful man from the documentaries I have seen on him. There is one where he is calling out another blues musician who threw his life and talents away by hitting the bottle too often and too hard. Howlin' Wolf sang and lived his life truthfully with honesty and passion. Just watch any video of him performing. Even Robert Plant said that if he could go back in time for just a few hours it would be to the Whiskey A Go Go and watch Howlin' Wolf play a set in 1969. He impacted so many of the British Musicians when America didn't want to know who their own blues artists were. Hubert I think was privileged to have been a part of playing with Howlin for for 25 years but then HOwlin was lucky to have such a great guitar player too and he knew Hubert was something special. Awesome!!!

Excellent. I had the pleasure of seeing him play in NYC on a harbour blues cruise “tribute to Howlin’ Wolf” and I shook his hand afterwards. Levon Helm, too. It was a memorable night.

Nobody but Robert Johnson has inspired blues players nearly as much as Hubert Sumlin...its sad that so many people don't even know his name...One of the few true music greats. RIP Hubert...I hope youre enjoying your eternal blues jam!!!

I'll never forget yoshis in oakland a few friends and I were walking down from the parking garage near the back entrance and a van pulls up and out walks James Cotton, Hubert Sumlin and Mojo Buford. James Cotton says 'Hi y'all doin?' That was awesome.

These so called critics/experts tickle me. They rate Hubert Sumlin 45th or somewhere thereabouts amongst the greatest guitar players of all time and then put the people who are influenced by him ahead of him. Record sales are not what I look at. Innovation, inlfluence and originality are what signifies greatness in my book.

His riff on Wolf's original Backdoor Man recording is addictive. I never get tired of it.

This interview answers a LOT of questions about the Blues, why people "die in it." Thank goodness for Hubert Sumlin,--he's a talker and he's a communicator. He tells the stories so we can learn and keep this deep art going. Blues doesn't need to "evolve," because there's depth that FEW can't even approach ... still. "You listenin?" "Yes, Sir."

R.I.P. Cuzzo we miss you and your beautiful music!!!!

Great job by the interviewer ! Thanks for letting Hubert have the floor and speak his piece !

He is so animated and happy. Love this guy

Yep... those same people don't seem to REALIZE that nearly EVERY SINGLE "guitar god" was so heavily influenced by Hubert that it's almost like he was their teacher... at least SRV had the goodness to point this out to folks. I've also read that Eric Clapton refused to get on a project that was goin down in London unless Hubert was invited. Hubert Sumlin IS the blues, even after his death, he's STILL the spirit of the blues. I love seeing him talk, he's just such a character aye. RIP Hubert.

Man, this is just so, so damn cool.

The Wolf put this poor man thru hell but on the other side was heaven.

Thanks for this great upload. RIP Hubert.. what a guy. A great storyteller and a brilliant musician. We need people like this more than ever in todays music scene

This is what should have been in that Cadillac Records movie, not the garbage they promoted.

AMAZING interview... WOW, what an amazing thing it must've been to sit down with this amazing man. RIP Hubert.

He was the guy influenced most of the british players...Hubert Sumlin and Otis Rush.

Amazing interview. He makes it sound so simple: You connect with the music and you connect with the crowd. Yet, how few are really able to do it?

This is a FANTASTIC interview. Thanks so much for posting it.

This is ultimate cool.

Nothing beats listening to man who's played the blues his whole life. He's seen life, he's lived life and he shared his life. Wow what a beautiful life.

The story about Muddy, his tour schedule, the one suit, and Hubert's reaction always makes me laugh.

this video makes me so happy

What a beautiful soul......this is the real deal.....thank you for posting

Would have loved to have met him or at least have seen him play live especially when he was younger, he was a true original.

I could listen to him all day without blinking an eye lol. It’s like whenever I hear him I must pick my guitar up and practice!

Thanks for putting this up. What a great and humble man he was. Anyone of significance in blues-rock owes him.

YES!

God he's so cool

A treasure to have lived in their time. Thank you.

He has a straight razor in his sock....I promise you.

Love this Guy!

Thanks for posting!!!

Wow. Amazing and precious. Thank you for the upload.

great man too good for this world

I enjoyed this video. Thanks for uploading.

How dope is this!

It was Hubert Sumlin who , more than likely , invented the modern rock style guitar.Everyone who is anyone took allot from Sumlin.

Probably the second-greatest thrash metal guitar player of all time. Firefingers

More stories from Hubert!

Very interesting talk . Real Cool . Just to Hear Hubert Sumlin Say . ." Muddy Waters ,Howlin Wolf and HoundDog Taylor " was Thick Icing on the cake for me .

The truth and nothing but truth

rip hubert. i love your music. your tribute to you this month in harlem is going to be, well, amazing. thank you for everything

His groove on Killing Floor kills me

40 one nighters and I got to counting the money. Is that the Blues?

👍👍

IDOL

Idk he played with Muddy...I think this guy is (through music) and was brilliant. I am not the only one...SRV and Clapton said it straight up that Hubert Sumlin is the one. Robert Cray said the same...ask anybody that knows anything about Hubie and they will tell you. I have bought and listened to him enough to call him that btw. I did not know him but I found his music and style through Buddy Guy, SRV, and Clapton. 3 legends in their own right.

rest your soul sir ill try hard to play my strings like you sir

👍😎

Rolling Stones listed him as the 34th greatest guitarist ever

Did Eric Andre watch this interview? Lol. Hubert was too cool man

Curious he says he woke up after prayer and could do fingerstyle and more. I need to try it

Joe Bonnamassa could learn alot from this man....

He sounds like some tortured types I've know. Like it's Hard to be in one's skin, like he needed someone else's will. I guess some of us have some of that too.

Vast majority of pick players suck. Sumlin took a while to get his enlightenment from the Wolf.

Put the pick down man ...go home

What da fuck did he say????