Great Barrington — Bobby Rush says if you don’t like the blues, you probably don’t like your mama. He knows it is the foundation of rock, jazz, soul, hip-hop, country, and most other modern American music genres. And he will tell you all about it at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s Indigo Room on Friday, March 14.
One of the last living connections to the golden era of the blues, Bobby Rush has been a major figure in the blues world for over seven decades. With three GRAMMY wins (among six nominations), he is in the Blues Hall of Fame and has won 16 Blues Music Awards (among 56 nominations). His first GRAMMY win came when he was 83 years old.
Rush’s newest album, “Young Fashioned Ways,” features Bobby together with Kenny Wayne Shepherd performing new blues songs co-written by the two. The album will be released this month Â
Rush’s live appearances are not merely famous; they are notorious. Known for their raunchy humor and wild antics, his shows are full of energy and playful humor. His reputation as an entertainer led to him being crowned “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit” by Rolling Stone magazine.
Born in Homer, La., in 1933, Rush moved to Pine Bluff, Ark., before settling in Chicago in the 1950s. There, he made a name for himself in the local blues scene, performing alongside such legends as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Jimmy Reed. His “folk-funk” sound blended blues, funk, soul, and R&B. His big break came in the 1970s with “Chicken Heads,” which became a blues staple. He has released over 25 albums and, at the age of 91, remains an influential figure in American roots music.
Hear bluesman Bobby Rush at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s Indigo Room at 20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, on Friday, March 14, at 8 p.m. Tickets are available here.
