Biography of Otis Rush

Part of the celebrated West Side school of guitarists (the other two notables being Buddy Guy and Magic Sam), Rush quickly distanced himself from the pack by coming up with a style that was more broodingly intense and introspective than either of them. His early recordings combined Robert Johnson-like anguished vocals with sweet, stinging guitar solos in a B. B. King mode, both with a unique voice. Influencing countless young guitarists on both sides of the Atlantic (Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan being just the tip of the iceberg), Rush continues to record and tour to this day, still occasionally connecting with the private demons that make his brand of blues so compelling. ~ Cub Koda