Otis Rush quotes

Otis Rush was a legendary blues musician known for his soulful voice and masterful guitar playing. Born in Philadelphia, Mississippi in 1935, Rush moved to Chicago in the late 1940s where he quickly made a name for himself in the local blues scene. He was a pioneer of the West Side Sound, a style of Chicago blues that incorporated elements of jazz and soul, and influenced countless artists with his unique sound. Rush's hits include "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" and "Double Trouble". He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Otis Rush's music continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.

I picked all the tunes before I went to Memphis, and the band was all set. Willie Mitchell is an arranger like I am, and he let me do what I had to do.

- Otis Rush

Oh, I was working occasionally in and out of New York.

- Otis Rush

I was staying with my sister and messing around with the guitar every day for my own amusement. Then she took me around and introduced me to Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, and the first time I saw that onstage, it inspired me to play. I thought that was the world.

- Otis Rush

Nobody can tell you how the blues feel unless they have the blues. We all take it differently.

- Otis Rush

I'll sit around and play my guitar; that's how I write tunes.

- Otis Rush

I didn't know Albert back then - I just learned to play that way. He and I were the only guys that played left-handed. Then left-handed people came from every direction.

- Otis Rush