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Information About

Otis Rush





CAREER


After moving to Chicago in the early 1950s , Rush made a name for himself playing in clubs on both the South Side and West Side blues scenes. From 1956 to 1959 , he recorded for the Cobra label and had hits with "All Your Love I Miss Lovin'" and Willie Dixon 's "I Can't Quit You Baby" in 1957 . His most famous recording is perhaps "Double Trouble" from the same year.

He recorded several singles on the Chess Records label in the early 1960 s and began playing in other cities in the U.S. and Europe . His distinctive Guitar style features a slow burning sound, jazz-style arpeggios and long bent notes. With similar qualities to Luther Allison , Magic Sam , Buddy Guy and Albert King , his sound became known as West Side Chicago blues and became an influence on Michael Bloomfield , Eric Clapton , Peter Green and Stevie Ray Vaughan .

Rush is Left-handed and, unlike many left-handed guitarists, plays a right-handed instrument upside-down without restringing it; as a result, when he bends a string he has to pull it down rather than push it up. This perhaps contributes to his distinctive sound. Other guitarists who use this method include Jimi Hendrix , Albert King and Dick Dale .
He has a wide-ranging, powerful tenor voice.
In 1968 , the album ''Mourning in the Morning'' was released on Atlantic Records and attracted attention. Signed to Mercury Records in 1976 , he remained with the label for twenty years. Rush continued to produce quality recordings and perform live throughout the 1980 s and 1990 s. In 1999 Otis Rush earned a Grammy Award for best traditional blues album for his 1998 release, ''Any Place I'm Goin'.''
He suffered a stroke in 2004 but has since recovered.

DISCOGRAPHY


  • ''All Your Love I Miss Loving - Live at the Wise Fools Pub, Chicago'' ( 22nd November 2005 )



EXTERNAL LINKS



  • http://www.geocities.com/shakin_stacks/otisrush.txt


  • http://www.blindpigrecords.com/artists/Rush,+Otis.html