BIO
John Rush takes you on a musical journey like no other one-man show can. Singing and playing guitar / bass / harmonica / piano / saxophone / banjo / keyboard and percussion John Rush plays his own original music and songs you know. If you think you've seen this before, you're wrong. John Rush is not just another singer/songwriter! Wowing audiences with his guitar work and capturing them with his voice and lyrics John Rush won Campus Entertainer of the Year and Campus Awards Musician of the Year!
John Rush has a much larger sound than most solo musicians. Taking a unique approach, John performs with the help of a loop machine that allows him to record a guitar "loop" on the fly and then play lead, bass, harmonica, piano, and percussion over it. John beats on his guitar, plays bass lines, and expressive guitar leads that impress the most critical listeners. This allows him to sound like a whole band even though it's just John and a guitar. "I do this all live," says John. "People always ask me if this is prerecorded music, but it's not. I think if you go hear live music it should be live. I rely on my own ability to perform; the technical effects are only there to enhance what I do."
Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, John first learned to play guitar at the age of twelve. After playing in jazz and rock bands through high school John went to Athens, Georgia on a classical guitar scholarship to the University of Georgia. After leaving Georgia John moved to Nashville, TN where he quickly became a must-see show in the bar scene before taking his show on the road.
Averaging more than 200 dates a year, John Rush is making a name for himself in the college campus and club circuit. With a set list that covers over 200 different bands, John Rush plays originals and/or covers depending upon what the audience requests. John has been called a " Human iPod " because he can play more than 65 hours of music upon request! That means you could hear John play for 65 hours straight and never hear a song repeated, or you could see 32 different 2 hour shows and never hear the same song twice!
John's powerfully dynamic voice makes you feel he's lived every song he sings. John's style is part Jack Johnson and part Jimi Hendrix.
John has released 3 CDs to date. His critically acclaimed debut CD, They Don't Know My Name, features two tracks from the soundtrack to the film Autumn and Everything After. John's second CD, Songs From The Road, is a compilation of live recordings. John's third and most recent CD, Always Touring, shows John's talents as a songwriter while highlighting his skills a guitarist and has been called "A Must Buy CD" and "A Great Find" by critics.
John says, "I wrirte some songs with some real depth to them, but my goal as a performer is to help people have a good time. If I'm lucky maybe I can make them think a little during the process."
An Interview with John Rush
John Rush
2. Birth Day? Sign?
July 3rd - Cancer
3. Where were you born?
Huntsville, AL
4. School history?
Mrs. Shan's kindergarten (Huntsville, AL)
1,2 East Clinton (Huntsville, AL)
3,4,5,6 Riverton (Huntsville, AL)
7,8 Huntsville Middle (Huntsville, AL) (Notice a trend here?)
9,10,11,12 Huntsville High (Huntsville, AL)
3 1/2 years University of Georgia (Athens, GA)
I still have about 20 hours to go, but what would I be doing with a classical guitar degree anyway?
5. a: Favorite Bands and Influences?
Mark Knopfler Cat Stevens
Stevie Ray Vaughn Bob Marley
Stevie Ray Vaughn U2
Neil Young Johny Lang
Blues Traveler
The Rolling Stones
Jethro Tull\
6. How long have you played guitar? Any other instruments?
Started guitar at age 12. After two years teaching myself I started classical guitar lessons. While taking classical guitar I started jazz lessons and continued both until I left for college where I majored in classical guitar performance at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA.
Age 10 - String Bass - I was the only one that was willing to try it. I didn't know that trying it meant I would be playing it. I just thought she wanted a volunteer. I was stuck with playing bass in the school orchestra.
Age 10 - Clarinet - I wanted to play the sax but we had a clarinet so once again I was stuck playing the clarinet in the band while playing the bass in the orchestra.
Age 12 - Guitar - My real love. My brother Ray gave me this old crappy electric and then I played my dad's acoustic. Aubrey Scarbrough gave me my first classical guitar that he bought for 2 dollars. We glued the back together and put a set of 10 dollar strings on it. I played it for the next two years.
Age 21 -
Vocals - I never thought of myself as a singer then it just kind of came to me. I was working in a bar in Huntsville and they needed someone to play for the Christmas party. Jed Murphree, Brent White, and I played as many songs as we knew (not many). After that I started playing there solo once a week.
Harmonica - David Greer gave ma a set of harmonicas when I was playing in Nashville and said, "Somebody should play them. I can't." So I started playing harmonica.
7. How do you remember so many songs?
I've always just had a good memory. The guitar parts are all pretty easy to remember because I hear the melody in my head but the lyrics are the hard part. I picture them as a story and if I can see the story, I can sing the song.
8. Have you always played solo? Any bands?
I was in an acoustic jazz band called Elgin while in high school. They were all older and ready to go on the road for real. I wanted to go to college so I left the band. I've played with a lot of musicians off and on but I never found the band that I was really looking for. I love playing with other musicians, especially good musicians, but I think I've just been spoiled for too long by myself. There's just so much freedom. I can do whatever I want and I don't have to rely on people who may or may not be reliable.
9. Where do you live now?
I just moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Nashville was nice but now that I'm touring I can live where ever I want. My wife's family lives there. Elisa travels with me often, but when I'm gone she needs family near.
10. Why did you go to Nashville, you're not country?
Once again I just kind of stumbled into it. I was working for a restaurant and they needed people to open a new store in Nashville. I went up as a trainer and then just stayed there. Of course it didn't hurt that my wife (just starting to date at the time) was a manager for the same restaurant.
I didn't really know what I was going to do, but it made more sense than Huntsville, AL. Everyone told me you can't make money playing in Nashville, but they were wrong. People are often intimidated by Nashville because there are so many musicians. You just have to get out there and play. I guess it helped that I wasn't country.
11. Stuff that doesn't really matter
Favorite Movie? Braveheart
Favorite Hero? William Wallace
Favorite TV show? Simpsons
Favorite Albums? Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms & Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Wish You Were Here)
Favorite Comedian? Dave Chapell
Favorite Teams? Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Titans
Favorite Books? "Awaken The Giant Within" --- Tony Robbins & "Conversations With God" --- Neale Donald Walsch
Turn-ons? Women
Turn-offs? Complaining
Favorite Food? Pizza and cheesecake
Hobbies? Basketball, working out, disc golf, pool
12. What would you say to someone just starting guitar?
Practice --- then practice some more.
The difference between a bad guitarist and an ok guitarist is ---- practice.
The difference between an ok guitarist and a good guitarist is --- practice.
The difference between a good guitarist and a great guitarist is --- practice.
The difference between a great guitarist and a truly phenomenal guitarist like Joe Satriani or Steve Via is a little bit of true talent to start with and a lot of practice.
13. What is the key to being successful?
Figure out what you're willing to do for free. Then find a way to get paid doing it. Then work your ass off.
14. What do you think about file sharing and downloading music?
If it's a band or artist that you believe in and you want to support their ability to keep making music then you have to buy the CD. I charge $10 for my CD and I think it's a fair price to pay. It takes a lot of work to write and produce a CD and you have the ability to listen to it as many times as you want. We pay up to $10.00 to see a movie and we only get to see it once.
However,if you see someone on "Cribs" or any other show and they are flashing all the money they waste and flaunting their ability to throw away the hard earned money of the people who bought their CD, don't listen to their music and definitely DON'T BUY THEIR CD! Baby had a necklace made for him that cost $2.1 million. 2.1 MILLION DOLLARS could sponsor 140,000 kids through Feed The Children for a month or 11,666 kids for a whole year!
The way I see it is if you download my CD and give it to someone that would not have bought it otherwise - great! If you are burning it for someone who would have bought the CD if you hadn't given it to them - not cool. I believe in downloading music and then when you find artists you like, buying their CD - especially independent artists. I can download lots of music for free but I make a real effort to support artists and bands that I like and respect.
I make a living doing what I love to do and I feel extremely lucky and thankful.
15. What kind of equipment do you use?
Guitar - Alvarez 6 string acoustic
Fender Stat
Pickup - L.R. Baggs - Acoustic Sound
GK-2AH Divided Pickup - All Other Sounds
Strings - Elixir Nanoweb Mediums (13-56) - If you don't use these strings, then you've never tried them
Capo - Shubb Deluxe
Pedals - Gibson Echoplex Foot Controller
Digitech Vocalist II Foot Controller
Digitech 7 band EQ - 1 for guitar and 1 for vocals
Roland VG-88
Roland GR-33
US-20
Mixer - Mackie 1202LZ
Power Amp - Crest CA9
Rack Effects - Oddyssey Sliding top rack
Gibson Echoplex Pro - for sampling guitar
Alesis Quadraverb - for reverb
Digitech Vocalist II - for vocal harmonies
DBX Dual 31 band EQ
Alesis Nano Compressor - for vocals
Speakers - JBL SR4726