Legendary Mississippi bluesman Bobby Rush is proving that age is just a number with the upcoming release of his latest album, Young Fashioned Ways.
At 91 years old, Rush continues his legacy of captivating a diverse audience with his soulful voice and signature style, bridging generational musical gaps through his work. Rush’s newest album is a collaboration with 45-year-old blues and rock musician from Louisiana, Kenny Wade Shepherd. After Shepherd approached Rush’s manager about recording together, Rush described his collaboration with Shepherd, to be “spontaneous.”
“[Kenny Wayne Shepherd] told me that he had nothing in mind, but I did. I said I got four or five songs, but I lied about that. I had about 130. I came up with my guitar, he sat down with his guitar.” Rush reflected during a recent appearance on Good Things with Rebecca Turner. “After we cut the first song, it went so well. We cut the next song; it went so well. So, we booked another date in the studio, and we booked three days, and we cut 12 or 15 songs, and all 12 or 15 songs came out to be number one.”
Rush is known for his energetic performances and unique fusion of blues, soul, funk, and R&B. Born in 1933 and spending most of his adult life in Mississippi, Rush developed his distinct sound by blending traditional Delta blues with a modern, electrified style featuring humorous storytelling, double entendres, and flamboyant stage presence. This earned him the title of “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit.”
Throughout his career, Rush has recorded numerous albums and hit songs like “Chicken Heads,” which became his breakthrough single in 1971. Despite his long career, Rush gained mainstream recognition later in life, winning his first Grammy award in 2017 for “Porcupine Meat” in the Best Traditional Blues Album category. Later on, he also received two other Grammy awards in the same category for his albums: “Rawer than Raw” (2021) and “All My Love for You” (2024).
“God has blessed me to be around this long. I have 439 records, and I can stand here now and recite to you at least 308 of them today. That’s a lot to remember. So, I’m so thankful that God gave me the sensor to remember,” Rush said.
Rush’s contributions to the blues have earned him multiple awards outside of the Grammys and have secured his place in the Blues Hall of Fame. Presently, Rush continues to perform and record as he preserves the rich tradition of Mississippi Blues while innovating and appealing to a new generation of fans. His resilience and passion for the blues make him one of the most enduring and influential artists in American music history.
“What we have to do is, as older men and women, we have to teach young men and women what to do now and what we did so they can learn what to do better than what we did,” Rush explained. “They have to pass it on, because I often talked about the blues, not just because I’m a blues singer, but the blues is a rook of all music. It’s the mother of all music. If you don’t like the blues, you probably don’t like your mama.”
In a recent concert in Biloxi, Rush played some songs from his latest album but shared that the full album discography will be released on March 21. Rush and Shepherd will travel together for a nationwide tour this summer, beginning in June and going through August. Tour dates can be found here.
