![]() ![]() When I saw James, maybe a few days later, I said, “Mane, y’all put me in a trick Saturday night.” I didn’t threaten him, but I was trying to squeeze some sympathy and maybe some money out of him. ![]() My happiness was short-lived, for I found out that James had put three more rounds on my tab. So in trying to be a big shot that night, I told the bartender that I would buy a round of drinks for them. Sonny Thompson always knew I was seeking some kinda break-maybe even to get on King Records. “Bobby Rush, what do you put in your hair?” I said, “A little bit ah conk and a little bit ah love!” Everybody fell out laughing. After my set, James only had one question. The drinks were flowing and the conversation lively. James showed up with two other cats from his Famous Flames band. ![]() “Please, Please, Please” was out on Federal Records-but it wasn’t that big signature song of his yet. James Brown had not become James Brown yet, as in the Godfather of Soul, but music folks knew him far and wide as a dynamic performer-with some badass hair and a badass band. “Bobby Rush, man, I been telling James (Brown) about you. I wanted to impress Sonny ’cause he was kinda like the Chicago hookup to King and Federal Records based in Cincinnati. I was just hitting my stride with a show that was well paced with just the right number of blues, slow songs, and early R&B hits. In the fall, I invited Sonny Thompson over to my show. It was one of the better blues spots around. That bright sign stuck out like a church steeple. With showplace written at the bottom, it was impressive-looking for the neighborhood it was in. Walton’s Corner had a gigantic neon sign in the shape of a T, with “Walton’s” in the top of the T and “Corner” in the stem of the T. Bobby even took a turn in the movies with a cameo in the Netflix Original ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ Starring Eddie Murphy.In 1957, I was making $7.50 a night at a joint called Walton’s Corner. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, his second Grammy Award and sixth nomination. With the release of his 2020 album Rawer Than Raw, an all-acoustic effort that pays tribute to the rich blues history of Mississippi, Rush has cemented his reputation as one of the preeminent bluesmen in the world, one of the last living links to the music’s glorious past, and an inspiration for its future stars. They also have had collaborative recordings and coinciding tours with both Marc Cohn and afro-pop duo Amadou & Mariam.īobby Rush, who turned 89 years-old on Novemis not done yet. The nominated collaboration, "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," powerfully reimagines the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement originally made famous by Nina Simone. The 12-song collection serves as a fitting capstone to a seven-decade career that has both defined the sound of the American South and pushed it forward from the 20th century and into the 21st.Įarlier in 2022, they had a collaborative recording with Béla Fleck nominated for a Grammy. The album was originally released as an exclusive on the band’s own BBOA Records label, developed in collaboration with Amazon Music. The Blind Boys of Alabama released their album Almost Home to all platforms under Single Lock Records. They have appeared on recordings with many artists, including Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, Susan Tedeschi, Ben Harper, Patty Griffin and Taj Mahal. The Blind Boys are known for crossing multiple musical boundaries with their remarkable interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material by songwriters such as Eric Clapton, Prince and Tom Waits. Celebrated by The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The Recording Academy/GRAMMYs with Lifetime Achievement Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and winners of five GRAMMY® Awards, they have attained the highest levels of achievement in a career that spans over 70 years. The Blind Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as living legends of gospel music.
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