Born in Louisiana in 1933, Bobby Rush was influenced early in life as his father played guitar and harmonica. As a young child he experimented with music using a sugarcane syrup bucket and a broom wire diddley bow. At 14 his family moved to Arkansas and so began his musical journey.
Arkansas brought friendships with the likes of Elmore James and Boyd Gilmore. His first band, Bobby Rush and the Four Jivers, included Pinetop Perkins and he became friends with Ike Turner. By the age of 20 Bobby had moved to Chicago and performed the blues circuit with Etta James, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed. !971 brought him his first certified gold record, "Chicken Heads".
His relentless touring earned him the nickname King of the Chillin' Circuit and whether he's making blues documentaries with Martin Scorsese or performing at the White House with James Brown, the International Dean of The Blues has wowed audiences worldwide. Accolades for this esteemed performer includes an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities by Rhodes College. A very deserving inductee to the Canada South Blues Museum