About this project
$227,990
1,802
Sidemen: Long Road To Glory is an award-winning documentary film about the lives, legacies and music of bluesmen Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. The film is complete and has enjoyed a successful festival run since its world premiere at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival. Though we cleared the music and footage rights to allow us to screen at festivals, we now need to clear those rights to allow for a worldwide release. With your support this can happen and we will be able to make the film available to music and movie fans around the world. In the process you will help to tell the incredible stories of these three remarkable men, preserve an important part of history and maybe, just maybe, help to get Hubert Sumlin elected to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
I have always been a huge music fan. As a kid it was Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Who and The Band. One of my favorite records was The Rolling Stones, "Love You Live." I particularly loved the song “Mannish Boy.” After seeing The Last Waltz for the first time and watching this guy named Muddy Waters (with a bushy haired Bob Margolin) perform that Rolling Stones song, my lifelong love and appreciation for the blues was born. In 2008 I was fortunate to meet and work with Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. After hearing their first hand accounts of life growing up in the Delta and experiences as sidemen for the legendary Muddy Waters and larger-than-life Howlin' Wolf, I knew I had to make a film that honored these men and the great legacies that they were a part of. My initial thought was to shoot a Last Waltz-style concert film, pairing these great blues musicians with all the rock and blues stars that covered, and in many cases made famous, the great blues-rock songs I grew up loving. But, the fates had other plans and what resulted after seven years is Sidemen: Long Road To Glory. I believe the film we made far surpasses my initial vision. My hope is that the film we created is worthy of these incredible musicians, the band leaders they played with and the great legacies they left behind. I believe that we have and I thank you for being a part of it.
Scott Rosenbaum - Director
Pinetop, Willie and Hubert were some of our last direct links to the origins of Delta and Chicago blues. As sidemen to the great Muddy Waters and Holwin' Wolf they were a part of some of the most recognizable and influential blues recordings of all time. The influence and cultural impact of these men and the legacies that they are a part of is incalculable.
Get this Joe Bonamassa Deluxe pacakge that includes a signed guitar, two concert tickets to the city of your choice along with two meet & greet passes for the show.
NYC graphic artist Chuck Collins drew six stunning scenes for Sidemen. Here is the Howlin' Wolf London Session scene featuring Hubert and Wolf flanked by Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Eric Clapton, Jeff Carp and producer Norman Dayron. Prints will be signed by both the artist and the film's director.
Pinetop Perkins, backstage at San Diego's Anthology club signing one of these rare and historic concert bills.
Paul Nelson is the latest to add his name to the list of world class musicians to lend their support to Sidemen by offering a private lesson just for you.
Legendary blues guitarist Walter Trout is the latest to support this campaign by offering to do a 45 minute Skype guitar lesson with one lucky guitarist
Walter Trout is signing this spectacular custom built guitar, made by Austin TX based Thin The Herd Guitars.
Host a private concert for you and your friends featuring Scott Sharrard & The Brickyard Band
Risks and challenges
Thank you for checking out our Kickstarter and for playing a critical role in helping us take this film the last mile, clear the rights and release the film. As many of you know, the film is finished and had its world premiere at The 2016 South By Southwest film festival subsequently winning many awards and accolades at festivals around the world. We now need your help to raise the last funds necessary to clear the many music and archival footage that appears in the film. These elements are critical in telling the full story about the incredible lives and legacies of Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. We've had countless requests to buy the DVD and see the film. Please know that we want nothing more than to be able to share Sidemen with everyone as as quickly as possible. But please be aware of the fact that the whole purpose of this campaign is to allow for the clearance of the music and archival footage worldwide rights. With a successful campaign we will move quickly to complete the clearance process, partner with a distributor and release the film. We want to be as clear as possible, this will take some time and may delay the shipment of the DVD. However, we will begin shipment of all the other perks in the various packages based on the dates indicated. If the DVD is delayed we will cover the cost of shipping an additional item. We will keep everyone updated about the status of the film's release. We thank you for your patience and your support. We simply could not do it without you.
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