Otis Rush, a powerful blues singer and innovative guitarist who had a profound influence not just on his fellow bluesmen but also on rock guitarists like Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, died on Saturday. His wife, Masaki Rush, announced the death on Mr. Rush’s website, saying that the cause was complications of a stroke he had in 2003. She did not say where he died. A richly emotive singer and a guitarist of great skill and imagination, Mr. Rush was in the vanguard of a small circle of late-1950s innovators, including Buddy Guy and Magic Sam, whose music, steeped in R&B, heralded a new era for Chicago blues.

Source: New York Times September 29, 2018 23:23 UTC