The Arkansas House of Representatives recently passed House Resolution 1038 by a unanimous vote honoring Grammy-award-winner Bobby Rush.
A native of Louisiana, the blues musician got his musical start in Pine Bluff.
District 53 Rep. Matt Duffield, R-Russellville, sponsored the resolution, stating Rush has been a cultural ambassador for both Arkansas and the blues, recognizing his energetic performances and ongoing humanitarian efforts.
Rush was present for the House vote.
“I loved it! It’s not just Little Rock showing me love, but all of Arkansas,” Rush said. “It is so nice of them to reach out and do this for me as a thank you for what I’ve done in the state.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“It seems like everybody is trying to claim me now, Louisiana where I was born and Mississippi where I have my home, have both done similar resolutions, but Arkansas always gets first place because that’s where I began my professional career performing at Jittie Bugs on Third Avenue in Pine Bluff,” Rush said.
When he was just 16, Rush fronted his first band called, “Bobby Rush & the Four Jivers.”
The group consisted of the legendary Elmore James on lead guitar. James built his blues reputation for loud amplification and his stirring vocals. Moose John played keyboard with Robert Plunkett on drums.
Rush said of his role in the group, “I played a little of everything and a little of nothing. I was the least talented musician but they made me sound good cause it was my band.”
Rush is currently rehearsing with Kenny Wayne Sheppard for their upcoming 28-show tour, including a May 1 stop in Arkansas at TempleLive in Fort Smith.
“We are both from Louisiana so we have a lot in common,” he said of Sheppard. “It’s noteworthy how an old guy like me and a young guy like him can fall in love with each other’s music.”
Together, the duo has written, recorded and recently released an 11-song album titled “Young Fashion Ways.” The first single to drop from the LP is, “Who Was That?”
At age 16, Bobby Rush began a 75-year music career in Pine Bluff fronting his first band, ‘Bobby Rush & the Four Jivers.’ (Special to The Commercial)