![]() ![]() Songs like “Sue, A Man Can Give (But He Sure Can’t Take It),” “What’s Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander Too,” and” I Ain’t Studdin’ You” became regional jukebox favorites in juke joints throughout the region, and many of those songs are still fan favorites that are an integral part of his live repertoire. He was tired of the cold up north, and he realized that setting up his base of operations directly in the center of the South would make it easier to perform in nearby cities on weekends. Rush relocated one final time to Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1980s. It wasn’t until the early 1970’s that Rush finally scored a hit with “Chicken Heads.” More recordings followed, including an album for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Label. He also started to craft his own distinct style of funky blues, and recorded a succession of singles for a various small labels. ![]() Rush eventually began leading his own band in the 1960s. sat in with many of his musical heroes, such as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon,and Little Walter. ![]() It was there that he started to work with Earl Hooker, Luther Allison, and Freddie King. While he was living in Little Rock, Rush’s band, which featured Elmore James, had a residency at a nightspot called Jackrabbit.ĭuring the mid-1950s, Rush relocated to Chicago to pursue his musical career and make a better life for himself. The fake moustache Rush wore made club owners believe he was old enough to gain entry into their establishments. He also got some harmonica lessons from his father He eventually acquired a real guitar, and started playing in juke joints as a teenager, when his family briefly relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas. After seeing a picture of a guitar in a magazine, he decided to make one by attaching the top wire of a broom to a wall and fretting it with a bottle. “I didn’t know where to buy one, even if I had the money. Rush built his first guitar when he was a youngster. “My daddy never told me to sing the blues, but he also didn’t tell me to not sing the blues. According to Rush, his parents never talked about the blues being the devil’s music. in Homer, Louisiana, he adopted the stage name Bobby Rush out of respect for his father, a pastor. His renowned stage act features his famed shake dancers, who personify his funky blues and the ribald humor that he has cultivated during the course of his storied career.īorn Emmet Ellis, Jr. In 2007, he earned the distinction of being the first blues artist to play at the Great Wall of China. His hectic tour schedule has earned him the affectionate title “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit.” Rush has traveled the globe, and has performed in such faraway places as Japan and Beirut. At age 82, he exudes the energy of a 20 year old, and is on the road for over 200 dates a year. He has been honored with four Grammy nominations, as well as 41 nominations and 10 awards from the Blues Foundation, and a 2006 induction into the Blues Hall of Fame.īut make no mistake: Rush is not your typical octogenarian. Rush estimates that he has cut over 300 songs since he first began making music. Released in late 2016 the album went on to garner a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album after a debut at #1 on the Living Blues radio chart. Naming your album after a song entitled “Porcupine Meat” may seem a little unusual unless you’re Bobby Rush, who earned his first gold record in 1971 with a hit entitled “Chicken Heads.” He elaborates on his recent composition: “If a lady won’t treat me right, but she doesn’t want anyone else to have me, that is hard to digest.” Hence the lyric, “too fat to eat, too lean to throw away.” Porcupine Meat is Rush’s debut release for Rounder Records, and one of the best recordings of his astonishing 60-plus year career. King Entertainer of the Year, and Rolling Stone magazine named King of the Chitlin’ Circuit 2017 GRAMMY winning blues legend, Blues Hall of Famer, 10x Blues Music Award winner, B.B.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |