Description
AUTOGRAPHED copy of I Ain't Studdin' Ya: My American Blues Story book by Bobby Rush.
In I Ain't Studdin Ya: My American Blues Story (Hachette Books), Blues Hall of Famer, Blues Music Award and GRAMMY® Winner Bobby Rush gives readers intimate access into his life and career like never before. Born Emmett Ellis, Jr., in Louisiana to a Black father and a mother who passed as white, Rush spent his childhood days picking cotton with his family and making music with syrup cans, broomsticks and hay wire. Rush transports readers into the Deep South of the 1930s and 1940s, reflecting on family values, racial tensions, and the significant contributions Black Americans made to music culture.
Rush’s early experiences, particularly the unshakable bond he shared with his father, would go on to influence his long and noteworthy career that rose out of the Chicago blues scene. Throughout the years, Rush befriended and performed alongside fellow music legends, including Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Little Walter. While opening for the likes of Tina Turner and Ray Charles, he bought a hot dog stand and ran his own barbeque joint to make ends meet. When faced with personal tragedy, multiple near-death experiences, and incarceration, Rush relied on his music and steadfast Baptist faith, never losing his sense of determination, passion for bringing others joy, and love of the music.
I Ain't Studin' Ya gives readers a behind-the-scenes look into Rush’s life as he:
- Sneaks into juke joints wearing a fake mustache at age 12
- Graduates from touring with a minstrel show to becoming a Chitlin’ Circuit favorite
- Loses $30,000 and learns a lesson of trust during a business deal gone wrong with James Brown
- Records hits like “Chicken Heads,” “Sue,” and the Grammy-winning album “Porcupine Meat”
- Becomes the first blues musician to perform at the Great Wall of China
- Analyzes the evolution of blues as a reflection of the Black experience in America
