Otis Rush
Otis Rush | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Otis Rush Jr. |
Also known as | Little Otis |
Born | Philadelphia, Mississippi, U.S. | April 29, 1934
Died | September 29, 2018 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 84)
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 1956–2003 |
Labels | |
Website | www |
Otis Rush Jr. (April 29, 1934 – September 29, 2018)[1] was an American blues guitarist and singer and songwriter. His distinctive guitar playing featured a slow burning sound and long bent notes, sometimes two and three at a time. Compared to other groups at the time where the sound of the band was the focus, he, along with Magic Sam and Buddy Guy, is credited with bringing the guitar to the forefront with a sound that became known as West Side Chicago blues which influenced a generation of blues and rock musicians including Michael Bloomfield, Peter Green, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn, who named his band after Rush's late 1958 hit "Double Trouble."
As a performer, Otis was unique. He had an intense and powerful tenor voice that grabbed your attention and he played his guitar backwards and upside down. He had the low strings adjusted very low, and the G, B,and high E strings adjusted for slightly higher action so that he could curl his left pinky under the low strings and pull them downward. Albert King and Jimi Hendrix played the same way though his sound was other worldly.[2]
He had problems with record labels. Chess and Duke recorded very little of his work and Capitol wouldn't release what would become a classic album.
Early life
[edit]Rush was born near Philadelphia, Mississippi in 1934, the son of farmers Julia Campbell Boyd and Otis C. Rush,.[3][4] He was one of seven children and sharecropped on a farm throughout his childhood.[4] He sang in local church choirs and at the age of eight taught himself how to play guitar.[4]
Career
[edit]Rush moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1948 - 49[4][5] and, after being inspired by Muddy Waters, made a name for himself playing in blues clubs on the South and West Side of the city. During this time, he formed his own group, initially using the name Little Otis.[4] Willie Dixon caught his act and signed him to Cobra Records. From 1956 to 1958, he recorded for the independent label which released eight singles, some featuring Ike Turner or Jody Williams on guitar.[2] His first single, from 1956, "I Can't Quit You Baby", was a national hit, reaching number six on the Billboard R&B chart. It stayed on the chart for six weeks. [5] While with Cobra, he recorded other tunes that Dixon produced including some of his best known songs, such as "Double Trouble", "All Your Love (I Miss Loving) and Three Times a Fool"."[6]
On Otis' recommendation, Cobra recorded Magic Sam in 1957 and Buddy Guy in ’58 with Otis playing rhythm guitar on Guy’s first Chicago recording. In 1959, Cobra Records went bankrupt and Rush followed Dixon to Chess Records and signed a recording contract with them in 1960. [2] He recorded eight tracks for the label, though they only released four, two singles, that year including the blistering So Many Roads, So Many Trains. Chess eventually released all eight tracks on the album Door to Door in 1969, a compilation that included their recordings of Albert King.[7] Rush went into the studio for Duke Records in 1962, though they only issued one single, "Homework" backed with "I Have to Laugh". [8] It was also released in Great Britain in 1963.
In 1965, he recorded for Sam Charters’ project Chicago/ The Blues/ Today! on Vanguard These recordings are included on the label's compilation album Chicago/The Blues/Today! Vol. 2 which introduced him to the new, white audiences. Rush began playing in other cities in the United States and in Europe during the 1960s, winning a place with the American Folk Blues Festival touring Europe. and earning several years of bookings at the Ann Arbor Blues festival in Michigan. [9] Unofficial recordings at this festival in 1967 and at the University of Chicago Folkfest in 1966 were later released together with recordings of Little Walter.[10] In 1969, Cotillion Records released his album Mourning in the Morning. Michael Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites, then with the band Electric Flag, recorded and produced the album at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The sound incorporated soul music and rock, a new direction for Rush.[11]
"Rush is a 'good singer' with a 'good instrument'—sweet, penetrating, slurred—but the words aren't where his soul goes. It goes into the form itself. Like B.B. King's, only less predictably by now, his solos expand upon the Chicago verities in almost jazzlike flights without ever transgressing against them."
In 1971, Rush recorded the album Right Place, Wrong Time in San Francisco for Capitol Records though Capitol did not release it. Rush purchased the masters from Capitol. The album was finally issued on P-Vine Records in Japanin 1976. Bullfrog Records released it in the United States soon after. [2] The album has since gained a reputation as one of his best works.[13][14] He also released some albums for Sonet Records in Europe and for Delmark Records during the 1970s though by the end of the decade, he had stopped performing and recording. [2]
Rush made a comeback in 1985 with a U.S. tour and the release of a live album, Tops, recorded at the San Francisco Blues Festival.[15]
In 1994, Mercury released Ain't Enough Comin' In, his first studio album in 16 years, which introduced him to a new generation of fans and topped many blues critics' year end lists. [2][6] Any Place I'm Goin' followed in 1998 and he earned his first Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1999. Rush did not record a new studio album after 1998 but he continued to tour and perform until 2003 when he suffered a stroke. In 2002, he was featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album Hey Bo Diddley – A Tribute!, performing the song "I'm a Man", produced by Carla Olson. His album Live...and in Concert from San Francisco from 1999 was released by Blues Express Records in 2006 .[2] Video footage of the same show was released on the DVD Live Part 1 in 2003.[16]
In June 2016, Rush made a rare appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival in Grant Park. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel honored him by declaring June 12 as Otis Rush Day in Chicago. Rush was unable to play because of ongoing health problems but was there with his family.[17]
Awards
[edit]Otis Rush was elected to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984.[18]
In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked him number 53 on its 100 Greatest Guitarists list.[19]
The Jazz Foundation of America honored Rush with a Lifetime Achievement Award on April 20, 2018 "for a lifetime of genius and leaving an indelible mark in the world of blues and the universal language of music."[20]
Death
[edit]Rush died on September 29, 2018 from complications of a stroke. He was 83 years old. His wife, Masaki, announced his death on his website.[1]
Gregg Parker, CEO and a founder of the Chicago Blues Museum said of him: "He was one of the last great blues guitar heroes. He was an electric god".[21] Writing in The New York Times, Bill Friskics-Warren said, "A richly emotive singer and a guitarist of great skill and imagination, Mr. Rush was in the vanguard of a small circle of late 1950s innovators, including Buddy Guy and Magic Sam, whose music, steeped in R&B, heralded a new era for Chicago blues."[22]
Selected discography
[edit]Singles
[edit]- 1956 "I Can't Quit You Baby" / "Sit Down Baby" (Cobra 5000)[23]
- 1956 "My Love Will Never Die" / "Violent Love" (Cobra 5005)[24]
- 1957 "Groaning the Blues" / "If You Were Mine" (Cobra 5010)[25]
- 1957 "Jump Sister Bessie" / "Love That Woman" (Cobra 5015)[26]
- 1957 "She's a Good 'Un" / "Three Times a Fool" (Cobra 5023)[27]
- 1958 "Checking on My Baby" / "It Takes Time" (Cobra 5027)[28]
- 1958 "Double Trouble" / "Keep On Loving Me Baby" (Cobra 5030)[29]
- 1958 "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" / "My Baby's a Good 'Un" (Cobra 5032)[30]
- 1960 "So Many Roads So Many Trains" / "I'm Satisfied" (Chess 1751)[31]
- 1960 "You Know My Love" / "I Can't Stop Baby" (Chess 1775)[32]
- 1962 "Homework" / "I Have to Laugh" (Duke 356 and UK Vocalion VP 92600 [33]
- 1969 "Gambler's Blues" / "You're Killing My Love" (Cotillion 44032)[34]
Compilation albums
[edit]- 1965 Chicago/The Blues/Today! Vol. 2 (Vanguard)
- 1969 Door to Door, with Albert King (Chess)[7]
- 1989 I Can't Quit You Baby: The Cobra Sessions 1956–1958 (P-Vine)[35]
- 2000 Good 'Uns: The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956–1958 (Westside)[36]
- 2000 The Essential Otis Rush: The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956–1958 (Fuel 2000)[37]
- 2002 Blue on Blues: Buddy Guy & Otis Rush (Fuel 2000)[38]
- 2006 Live at Montreux 1986 (Eagle Rock Entertainment) (joint performance with Eric Clapton and Luther Allison)[39]
Solo albums
[edit]- 1968 This One's a Good One (Blue Horizon)[40]
- 1969 Mourning in the Morning (Cotillion)[11]
- 1972 Blues Masters, Vol. 2[41]
- 1975 Screamin' and Cryin' (Black & Blue)[42]
- 1975 Cold Day in Hell (Delmark)[43]
- 1976 So Many Roads (Delmark)[44]
- 1976 All Your Love I Miss Loving: Live at the Wise Fools Pub, Chicago (, Delmark, released, 2005)[45]
- 1976 Right Place, Wrong Time (Bullfrog)[46]
- 1978 Troubles Troubles (Sonet)[47]
- 1988 Tops (Blind Pig)[15]
- 1989 Blues Interaction – Live in Japan 1986 (P-Vine)
- 1991 Lost in the Blues (Alligator ALCD4797)[48]
- 1993 Live in Europe (Evidence Music ECD 26034-2)[49]
- 1994 Ain't Enough Comin' In (This Way Up/Mercury)[50]
- 1998 Any Place I'm Going (House of Blues)[51]
- 2006 Live...and in Concert from San Francisco (Blues Express)[52]
- 2009 Chicago Blues Festival 2001 (P-Vine)[53]
- 2015 Double Trouble LIVE Cambridge 1973 (RockBeat Records)[54]
DVDs
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^ a b OtisRush.net. Retrieved September 29, 2018
- ^ a b c d e f g Dahl, Bill (April 29, 1934). "Otis Rush: Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 119. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b c d e Harris, Sheldon (1994). Blues who's who : a biographical dictionary of blues singers. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80155-8. OCLC 469533427.
- ^ a b Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Singles 1942–1988 (Record Research)
- ^ a b Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 164. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ a b "Door to Door - Albert King, Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush: Duke-Peacock Blues" (in Japanese). Members.jcom.home.ne.jp. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Keeping The Blues Alive Blues Video of the Week: Otis Rush Performs "I Can't Quit You Baby" - Keeping The Blues Alive". keepingthebluesalive.org. November 4, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ All music guide to the blues : the experts' guide to the best blues recordings. Michael Erlewine. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books. 1996. p. 171. ISBN 0-87930-424-3. OCLC 35662473.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b "Mourning in the Morning - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Chadbourne, Eugene. "Oftis Rush: Right Place, Wrong Time". AllMusic.com. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Otis Rush: Right Place, Wrong Time". Amazon. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ a b "Tops - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "Part One - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "LIVE REVIEW: Chicago Blues Festival 2016, Tribute To Otis Rush, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, by Linda Cain". Chicagobluesguide.com. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ^ "Otis Rush". Msbluestrail.org. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ^ "100 Greatest Guitarists". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ^ "Jazz Foundation Taps Brittany Howard, Chevy Chase, Bruce Willis, & More For Annual Gala". April 18, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush, Chicago's 'king of the hill' blues guitarist, dies aged 84". the Guardian. Associated Press. September 30, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (September 29, 2018). "Otis Rush, Influential Blues Singer and Guitarist, Is Dead at 83". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush - I Can´t Quit You Baby". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush And His Band - My Love Will Never Die". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush - Groaning The Blues". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush - Love That Woman". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush And Willie Dixon Band - Three Times A Fool". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush - It Takes Time". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Double Trouble — Otis Rush (Cobra, 1958)". Blues Foundation. November 10, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush And His Band - All Your Love (I Miss Loving)". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush - So Many Roads, So Many Trains". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush - You Know My Love". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush - Homework". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush - Gambler's Blues". Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "I Can't Quit You Baby: The Complete Cobra Sessions - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Good 'Un's: The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956-1958 - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "The Essential Otis Rush - Otis Rush - User Reviews - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Blue on Blues - Buddy Guy, Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Live at Montreux 1986 - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "This One's a Good Un - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Blues Masters, Vol. 2 - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Screamin' & Cryin' - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Cold Day in Hell - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "So Many Roads: Live in Concert - Otis Rush - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "All Your Love I Miss Loving: Live at the Wise Fools Pub Chicago - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Right Place, Wrong Time - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Troubles, Troubles - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Lost in the Blues - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Live in Europe - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Ain't Enough Comin' In - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Any Place I'm Going - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush Live... And In Concert from San Francisco - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush: Chicago Blues Festival 2001". bluesginza.web.fc2.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Double Trouble: Live Cambridge 1973 - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Otis Rush & Friends: Live At Montreux 1986 [DVD] - Otis Rush - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
Further reading
[edit]- Carlo Rotello, "Otis Rush," New York Times Magazine, December 27, 2018.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Otis Rush at AllMusic
- Otis Rush at setlist.fm
- Obituary at Rolling Stone
- Obituary at ultimateclassicrock.com
- 1934 births
- 2018 deaths
- Chicago blues musicians
- Electric blues musicians
- Singers from Mississippi
- African-American guitarists
- American blues singers
- American blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- Singers from Chicago
- People from Philadelphia, Mississippi
- Grammy Award winners
- Alligator Records artists
- Chess Records artists
- Delmark Records artists
- Duke Records artists
- Vanguard Records artists
- P-Vine Records artists
- Cobra Records artists
- Blues musicians from Mississippi
- Guitarists from Chicago
- Guitarists from Mississippi
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- Black & Blue Records artists
- Blind Pig Records artists
- 20th-century African-American musicians
- 21st-century African-American musicians