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The good news: <\/strong>I was given the opportunity to interview the legendary Chicago bluesman, Otis Rush around the mid 90s. Even better news: <\/strong>I had to pick him up at Los Angeles International Airport, do the interview in route and deliver him to his hotel. Obviously, I would need a blues accomplice that would willingly face the 405 freeway during ‘Rush’ hour traffic, then careen into and out of LAX at a peak time, just for the privilege of cruising with Otis Rush. I made one call to long-time blues friend and renowned L.A. musician; Preston Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Little did Mr. Rush realize as he deplaned the relative security of his 707, that he was about to come face to face with real ‘Double Trouble.’ The commute from the airport to his hotel would include a pair of inquisitive blues freaks that wanted to grill him on every historical detail of his storied career. Although seemingly resigned to the fact, I’m pretty sure he began experiencing a few reservations, and almost certainly imagined a number of ‘bluesman abducted’ scenarios, as he haltingly approached Preston’s vintage soccer mom van. After words of encouragement and reassurance, Pres hit the gas and appropriately, blue smoke poured from our ‘limo.’ I turned toward the strapped-in blues legend and hit my record button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, was your family musical? “My uncle was into music.” Otis said. “It wasn’t planned, just played around the house, you know? That was enough for me. My brother’s all had guitars, but they didn’t play.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was surprised to learn you started with harmonica first. “I did start with harmonica first.”<\/strong> Why the change? “Well the guitar was laying over there and I got the harmonica in my hand. So I want to try the guitar, right? I wasn’t doing too great with the harmonica.”<\/strong> (laughing)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too much competition? “Not at that time. There wasn’t no Little Walter and stuff like that. I never heard the Howlin’ Wolf blow the harmonica, I never heard Junior Wells. It was just me.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you remember when you first heard blues? “Well I listened to the radio all the time. I listened to Western music, you know country music. Eddy Arnold\u2026and the bluegrass boys and all those guys. Aw man, I listened to all of them.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Well, I remember crawling on my stomach like a snake trying to keep from gettin’ shot, up in there.” (laughing) “I remember that!”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n —- Otis Rush on bar crawling in Chicago<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who do you think influenced you most in your style of play today? “Well I heard John Lee Hooker, see? Then I heard Muddy Waters after I came to Chicago. Muddy was the first guy I saw on the bandstand, and I said, ‘well this is for me’, you know? And they were sounding very good and I felt like I had to do the same thing\u2026to get me going.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n