Bobby Rush January 2, 2010

Emmet Ellis Jr., who later adopted his stage name out of respect for his father, built his first instrument, a primitive guitar or "diddley bow," as a child in small-town Louisiana. As a teenager, he would don a fake mustache and appear at local juke joints. Rush moved to Chicago in the 1950s and launched a career that has spanned 6 decades and included dozens of critically-acclaimed releases. After his 22nd album, 'Rush,' he was awarded 'Best Male Soul Blues Artist' at the Blues Music awards.