Keith Richards, Mick Jagger pay for bluesman’s Homewood burial
BY DAVE HOEKSTRA Staff Reporter/dhoekstra@suntimes.com December 8, 2011 5:38PM
Hubert Sumlin performs at Grant Park in 2010. | JOHN J. KIM~SUN-TIMES
Updated: January 10, 2012 8:22AM
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are paying for private burial Tuesday of blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin at Washington Memorial Gardens in south suburban Homewood, the late musician’s partner said.
The lead guitarist for Howlin’ Wolf and sonar trailblazer died Sunday at the age of 80 in a New Jersey hospital.
In an online posting, the late musician’s partner, Tori Ann Mamary, said the Glimmer Twins “insisted on picking up the full expenses for Hubert’s funeral. God bless the Rolling Stones.”
Richards played on Sumlin’s 2004 solo release “About Them Shoes.” In a statement, Richard expressed his sorrow for Sumlin’s death and said he “put up a long hard fight. To me, he was an uncle and a teacher, and all the guitar players must feel the same as myself.”
Jagger added, “Hubert was an incisive yet delicate blues player. He had a really distinctive and original tone and was a wonderful foil for Howlin’ Wolf’s growling vocal style. On a song like ‘Goin’ Down Slow’ he could produce heart-rending emotion, and on a piece like “Wang Dang Doodle” an almost playful femininity. He was an inspiration to us all.”
At Washington Memorial Gardens, Sumlin will be laid to rest next to his longtime wife Bea, whom he often referenced on stage.
After the burial, a celebration of Sumlin’s life will begin at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Fitzgerald’s, 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd.. in Berwyn.
Former Sumlin sideman and Muddy Waters guitarist Bob Margolin and harmonica player Bob Corritore will lead a jam of musicians who shared the stage with Sumlin over the years. Donations will be collected at the door to cover some expenses for the funeral party, and the rest will be donated to the Blues Foundation HART Fund, which provides assistance towards musicians’ hospital costs.
Sumlin’s last Chicago area appearance was on July 3, 2010 with the Nighthawks at FitzGerald’s.
His funeral will take place Monday in Totowa, N.J.
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