Frogtoon Music

The Essential Otis Rush (Album) by Otis Rush

Artist Biography For Otis Rush

Otis Rush Jr. Philadelphia Mississippi April 29 1934 - September 29 2018 Was An American Chicago Blues Guitarist Singer And Songwriter. Rush Was Left-Handed And Strummed With His Left Hand While Fretting With His Right. However His Guitars Were Strung With The Low E String At The Bottom In Reverse Or Upside-Down To Typical Guitarists. He Often Played With The Little Finger Of His Pick Hand Curled Under The Low E For Positioning. It Is Widely Believed That This Contributed To His Distinctive Sound. He Had A Wide-Ranging Powerful Tenor Voice. His Distinctive Guitar Style Featured A Slow-Burning Sound And Long Bent Notes. With Qualities Similar To The Styles Of Magic Sam And Buddy Guy His Sound Became Known As West Side Chicago Blues And Was An Influence On Many Musicians Including Michael Bloomfield Peter Green And Eric Clapton. Otis Rush The Son Of Julia Campbell Boyd And O. C. Rush Was Born Near Philadelphia Mississippi In 1934. Or 1935? .
Rush Moved To Chicago Illinois In 1948 And Made A Name For Himself Playing In Blues Clubs On The South Side And The West Side Of The City. From 1956 To 1958 He Recorded For Cobra Records And Released Eight Singles Some Featuring Ike Turner Or Jody Williams On Guitar. His First Single "I Can't Quit You Baby" In 1956 Reached Number 6 On The Billboard R&B Chart. During His Tenure With Cobra He Recorded Some Of His Best-Known Songs Such As "Double Trouble" And "All Your Love I Miss Loving ." Cobra Records Went Bankrupt In 1959 And Rush Signed A Recording Contract With Chess Records In 1960. He Recorded Eight Tracks For The Label Four Of Which Were Released On Two Singles That Year. Six Tracks Including The Two Singles Were Later Included On The Album Door To Door In 1969 A Compilation Also Featuring Chess Recordings By Albert King. Rush Went Into The Studio For Duke Records In 1962 But Only One Single "Homework" Backed With "I Have To Laugh" Was Issued By The Label. It Was Also Released In Great Britain As Vocalion VP9260 In 1963. In 1965 He Recorded For Vanguard These Recordings Are Included On The Label's Compilation Album Chicago/The Blues/Today! Vol. 2. Rush Began Playing In Other Cities In The United States And In Europe During The 1960s Notably With The American Folk Blues Festival. In 1969 His Album Mourning In The Morning Was Released By Cotillion Records. Recorded At The FAME Studios In Muscle Shoals Alabama The Album Was Produced By Michael Bloomfield And Nick Gravenites Then Of The Band Electric Flag . The Sound Incorporated Soul Music And Rock A New Direction For Rush. In 1971 Rush Recorded The Album Right Place Wrong Time In San Francisco For Capitol Records But Capitol Did Not Release It. The Album Was Finally Issued In 1976 When Rush Purchased The Master From Capitol And Had It Released By P-Vine Records In Japan. Bullfrog Records Released It In The United States Soon After. The Album Has Since Gained A Reputation As One Of His Best Works . He Also Released Some Albums For Delmark Records And For Sonet Records In Europe During The 1970s But By The End Of The Decade He Had Stopped Performing And Recording. 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. He Released Ain't Enough Comin' In In 1994 His First Studio Album In 16 Years. 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. Rush's 2006 Album Live...And In Concert From San Francisco A Live Recording From 1999 Was Released By Blues Express Records. Video Footage Of The Same Show Was Released On The DVD Live Part 1 In 2003. In June 2016 Rush Made A Rare Appearance At The Chicago Blues Festival In Grant Park. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel Honored Rush's Appearance By Declaring June 12 To Be Otis Rush Day In Chicago. Due To His Ongoing Health Problems Rush Was Unable To Play But Celebrated On The Sidelines With His Family Who Stood Around Him. Awards Rush Was Elected To The Blues Hall Of Fame In 1984. In 2015 Rolling Stone Ranked Rush Number 53 On Its 100 Greatest Guitarists List. 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." His Death On September 29 2018 From Complications Arising From His Stroke In 2003 Was Announced On His Website By His Wife Masaki. Selected Discography Singles
1956 "I Can't Quit You Baby" / "Sit Down Baby" Cobra 5000 1956 "My Love Will Never Die" / "Violent Love" Cobra 5005 1957 "Groaning The Blues" / "If You Were Mine" Cobra 5010 1957 "Jump Sister Bessie" / "Love That Woman" Cobra 5015 1957 "She's A Good 'Un" / "Three Times A Fool" Cobra 5023 1958 "Checking On My Baby" / "It Takes Time" Cobra 5027 1958 "Double Trouble" / "Keep On Loving Me Baby" Cobra 5030 1958 "All Your Love I Miss Loving " / "My Baby's A Good 'Un" Cobra 5032 1960 "So Many Roads So Many Trains" / "I'm Satisfied" Chess 1751 1960 "You Know My Love" / "I Can't Stop Baby" Chess 1775 1962 "Homework" / "I Have To Laugh" Duke 356 1969 "Gambler's Blues" / "You're Killing My Love" Cotillion 44032 Original Albums 1968 This One's A Good One Blue Horizon 1969 Mourning In The Morning Cotillion 1972 Blues Masters Vol. 2
1974 Screamin' And Cryin' Black & Blue 1975 Cold Day In Hell Delmark 1976 So Many Roads Delmark 1976 Right Place Wrong Time Bullfrog 1978 Troubles Troubles Sonet 1988 Tops Blind Pig 1989 Blues Interaction – Live In Japan 1986 P-Vine 1991 Lost In The Blues Alligator ALCD4797 1993 Live In Europe Evidence Music ECD 1994 Ain't Enough Comin' In This Way Up/Mercury 1998 Any Place I'm Going House Of Blues 2006 Live...And In Concert From San Francisco Blues Express 2009 Chicago Blues Festival 2001 P-Vine 2015 Double Trouble LIVE Cambridge 1973 RockBeat Records Compilation Albums
1969 Door To Door With Albert King Chess 1989 I Can't Quit You Baby The Cobra Sessions 1956–1958 P-Vine 2000 Good 'Uns The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956–1958 Westside 2000 The Essential Otis Rush The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956–1958 Fuel 2000 2002 Blue On Blues Buddy Guy & Otis Rush Fuel 2000 2005 All Your Love I Miss Loving Live At The Wise Fools Pub Chicago Delmark 2006 Live At Montreux 1986 Eagle Rock Entertainment Joint Performance With Eric Clapton And Luther Allison 2015 Double Trouble Live Cambridge 1973 Rockbeat Records ROCCD 3220 DVDs
2003 Live Part One Blues Express 2006 Live At Montreux 1986 Eagle Rock Entertainment

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