House Concurrent Resolution 43

(As Adopted by House and Senate)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING ACCLAIMED MISSISSIPPI ARTIST BOBBY RUSH FOR WINNING HIS THIRD GRAMMY FOR BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM AT THE 66TH GRAMMY AWARDS FOR HIS ALBUM ENTITLED "ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU."

WHEREAS, acclaimed and celebrated Mississippi Blues Ambassador Bobby Rush won "Best Traditional Blues Album" during the 66th Grammy Awards this year for his album "All My Love For You" making this his third Grammy win; and

WHEREAS, the third time was truly a charm when the long-admired 90-year-old took the Grammy stage to receive his third Grammy while paying homage to those who came before him such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Tyrone Davis and Johnnie Taylor, all the guys he looked up to; and

WHEREAS, a 16-time Blues Music Awards winner, the current album All My Love For You has been praised by All Things Considered, American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Station, NPR Music, Rock & Blues Muse and more; and

WHEREAS, All My Love For You is richly comprised of ten original tunes written and produced by Bobby Rush and is semi-autobiographical in nature; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Rush has led a fascinating life from being The King of the Chitlin Circuit, performing with Elmore James and B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, to winning his first Grammy Award at age 83 for his album Porcupine Meat; and

WHEREAS, music critics agree that Bobby Rush has only gotten better with time and more popular since his last album Rawer Than Raw also won a Grammy Award, followed by the re-recording of his 1971 hit Chicken Heads with Buddy Guy, Gov't Mule and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram; and

WHEREAS, he is not only a beloved Bluesman, he is an admired author who has finally written his critically acclaimed autobiography "I Ain't Studdin Ya": My American Blues Story which Kirkus Reviews called, "A fascinating story well told… A richly detailed account of a bluesman's full life."; and

WHEREAS, he has been creating art and records for nearly 70 years, has appeared on more than 400 recordings, released 75 career songs, released 27 studio albums to his name, recorded for more than 20 labels, from Checker/Chess and ABC to Philly Int'l and Rounder/Concord; and

WHEREAS, one of the last African-American bluesmen from the class to emerge out of and triumph in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, Bobby Rush is a Blues Hall of Famer, thirteen-time Blues Music Award winner and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year; and

WHEREAS, in 2017, he won a Blues Music Award for Album of the Year for his studio recording "Porcupine Meat," Bobby spent the next year writing material for his follow-up album, "Sitting on Top of the Blues," which was released in 2019, and featured 11 originals, which earned him another Blues Music Award and Grammy Award nomination, before receiving recognition this year, which brings his total to six career Grammy nominations and two Grammy wins; and

WHEREAS, "Rawer Than Raw" released by Deep Rush/Thirsty Records on August 28, 2020, was recorded in Jackson, Mississippi, over the span of several years, and features five originals and six covers to honor some of his Mississippi blues emissaries, including: Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sonnyboy Williamson II, Skip James and Elmore James; and

WHEREAS, "Rawer Than Raw" is a stripped-down, acoustic version of the Grammy Award-winning bluesman, who has been performing since 1951, which highlights the songs performed in a solo setting with only Rush, his guitar, a harmonica and a little percussion, a drastic departure from the extravagant showman perception many are accustomed to experiencing; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to recognize the outstanding talented musicians that call our state home and who still reside in our home State of Mississippi, such as Bobby Rush, whose music and achievements bring great honor to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend, congratulate and celebrate Bobby Rush on the occasion of his third-career Grammy Award as Best Traditional Blues Album for "All My Love For You," and wish him much continued success in his next artistic endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Bobby Rush and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.