And Rush is proud to bear the torch for that tradition, and more. King, Nat “King” Cole and Ray Charles emerged from this milieu. A range of historic entertainers that includes Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway, B.B.

With more than 100 albums on his résumé, according to Rolling Stone magazine he’s the reigning king of the Chitlin’ Circuit, the network of clubs, theaters, halls and juke joints that first sprang up in the 1920s to cater to black audiences in the bad old days of segregation. Rush’s stage show is built around big-bottomed female dancers, ribald humor and hip-shaking grooves have made Rush today’s most popular blues attraction among African-American audiences. Those talents have earned him multiple Blues Music Awards including Soul Blues Album of the Year, Acoustic Album of the Year, and, almost perennially, Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year.a prolific songwriter and one of the most vital live performers in the blues, able to execute daredevil splits on stage After more than sixty years of recording and touring, Rush is still doing over 200 shows a year from Mississippi to Japan and California to Los Angeles, and headlining major festivals and concerts for upwards of 20,000 people a night. He’s a prolific songwriter and one of the most vital live performers in the blues, able to execute daredevil splits on stage with the finesse of a young James Brown while singing and playing harmonica and guitar. At 77, Rush still has an energy level that fits his name. The latter’s 11 songs revel in the grit, grind and soul that’s been the blues innovator’s trademark since the 1960s, when he stood shoulder to shoulder on the stages of Chicago with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and other giants. Bobby Rush’s latest two albums, this year’s Grammy nominated funk-infused Decisions and last year’s Grammy nominated and Blues Music Award winning album Down in Louisiana is the work of a funky fire-breathing legend, both exhibiting one of his many unique layers.

Bobby rush them. blues. six hes