The creator of a singular sound that he dubbed "folk-funk," vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Bobby Rush is among the most colorful and enduring characters on the contemporary chitlin circuit, honing a unique style that brings together a cracked lyrical bent with elements of blues, soul, and funk. While Rush's early singles were raw, straightforward blues, by the '70s his music had grown into a swampy hybrid of blues, soul, and funk, seasoned with a deeply Southern flavor and Rush's cocky vocal style.

For decades, Rush was a star on the Southern club circuit where soul-blues and retro-soul acts thrive while barely making an impression on mainstream listeners, but that began to change in 2003, when he was featured in The Road to Memphis, an episode of the acclaimed PBS documentary series The Blues, which featured interviews with Rush and footage of him working the crowd on-stage.

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