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Otis Rush - Blues Master

John Holmes

ast month we looked at the life of Magic
Sam, who unfortunately did not live long enough
Lto receive his just desserts as a musician
during his lifetime. Otis Rush was a
contemporary of Sam, who did live long
enough to receive world wide acclaim, but also
suffered from nerves, stage fright and ill health
on and off throughout his adult life.

Like so many blues musicians, Rush had a strong
emotional and soulful vocal style, as well as being an
inspirational guitar player, and is quoted as an influence
by many other players, such as Eric Clapton, Mike
Bloomfield, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Southampton’s
own Pete Harris!

He was born in Philadelphia,
Mississippi on 29 August 1934,
one of seven children of
farmers O. C. Rush and Julia
Boyd. As a young child Otis
sometimes sang in the local church
choir, but at an early age was drawn
to the country blues sounds of
Tommy McClennan and Lightnin’
Hopkins. Although attracted by the
guitar, like Magic Sam he initially
started to learn the harmonica,
although older brother Leroy had a
guitar that he never was able to
master. The young Otis would pick
up the instrument when his brother
was out, and try to produce some
pleasing sounds. The guitar was strung
right handed, but Otis did not know the
difference, so as a leftie he just tried to play it as
it was.

Age 14 he travelled to Chicago, to stay with his
older sister; eventually deciding to remain there,
where he worked in the stockyards - “a steel mill,
packing house, driving a truck……different jobs”,
according to Otis.

In the city his sister took him to performances by
such as Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers, insp
iring him to start playing the guitar with more serious intent than he had been.