Having Bobby Rush speak with us two weeks ago was sort of surreal. A true musical legend joined us at Rhodes to take us back in time when Memphis was different in two major ways: it was the music destination of America, and it was segregated.
During my past three and a half years at Rhodes, I have been made well aware of the impact that both the Civil Rights Era and music have had on Memphis throughout history, but hearing about the two clash from a man who has known Memphis both then and now was extraordinarily powerful and helped me see the connection instead of understanding them as two separate phenomena.
While African Americans were the inventors of blues, tying in soul and rock n’ roll into a personal story-telling musical experience, they were unable to get their music exposed to the rest of the country without white people performing it. I really liked the way Rush communicated to us that he didn’t mind white people “taking the blues” from the originators. To Rush, his priority was the music gaining the popularity and attention it deserved. Whether that was from who really started it or not was irrelevant at the end of the day.
Rush exuded a sense of naivety and charm. At one point, Rush expressed his gratitude for us wanting to listen to him speak for the afternoon. I remember thinking; doesn’t he realize this is a treat for us? His disbelief that we were so interested in him really reflected his humility- a trait that comes from who Rush simply is to the core possibly, but also his upbringing as an artist in Memphis who at the time, couldn’t even get into clubs without the help of white musicians like Elvis Presley, as he mentioned in the presentation. Rush learned to be happy with what he got- because that’s all Memphis had to offer in his time.
Admittedly, I felt pretty emotional at the end of Rush’s talk. It just wasn’t fair for Rush- this charming, talented musician to give so much to Memphis should not have had to experience segregation. However, Rush has this distinctive character, these incredible life stories, and this drive and passion just to wake up and be alive every day because he experienced the real life issues that Memphis still deals with today- racism, civil rights, the painful controversies between race and music. Still, it is so easy at moments like these, to want to disassociate with the history here.
Memphis is distinct in its struggle to disconnect or get in touch with itself regarding some of the ugliness involved with riots and violence and racism included in the past. While I can't change the past and the injustices that Bobby Rush had to overcome, I can at least learn from them, because I live in Memphis. I can investigate and probe and delve into what Memphis was, and study the past to see how it continues to affect our present and future. Actively searching for ways to be more aware and educated on the past of Memphis instead of denying the hard parts of it- I think we owe at least that to him.
Kendra,
ReplyDeleteYour post about Mr. Bobby Rush is a very enjoyable read. Like you, I felt as if his visit was a treat to us all. It was very interesting to hear his stories and reflections in current time. I wonder how differently he would have told them had his experiences been more recent. His story about the curtain was very eye-opening. When he said that the audience didn’t want to see the band's face, but wanted to hear the music really made his experience much more real, including how he had to paint his face to be whiter. It really just was not fair for him. I loved how he is tied in with the Memphis soul and sound, and how in his words, "Memphis has been the key to the lock." It makes me appreciate being in Memphis even more.
I believe that you can never truly understand something until you experience it and Bobby Rush experienced everything that he discussed in the lecture. By hearing a first-hand account about Memphis during a time of segregation and great music helped me better appreciate the connection between the two.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I had heard the term “performing from behind the curtain” before, I never fully understood the implications of it until Mr. Rush shared his experiences with us. I am so thankful that Mr. Rush was able to keep his head up throughout all of his experiences and share them with us as the successful musician that he is today.
It is interesting to contrast Mr. Rush's statement about cultural appropriation with Professor Hughes'. Mr. Rush stated that music was more important than worrying about white musicians performing their music. On the other hand, Professor Hughes commented that while black musicians were artists, they were businessmen first and white cultural appropriation of black music impeded on black musicians being economically successful. While Bobby Rush lived during and was a part of this era of Memphis history, I think it's important to keep Professor Hughes' comments in mind as well. I think it helps demonstrate that not all black musicians felt the same way about cultural appropriation of their music. Mr. Rush was a joy to listen to and had a very positive outlook on life, but I wonder if another African American musician from the time would have different comments to make.
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