Description
Jimmy Rushing (August 26, 1903 – June 8, 1972) was an American blues singer and pianist. He was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is best known as the “Mr. Five by Five” of the Count Basie Orchestra.
Rushing was a veteran of the vaudeville circuit, having performed with the likes of Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, and Bessie Smith. He was also a talented pianist. In 1927, he joined Walter Page’s Blue Devils, with whom he performed for the next four years. He then worked with Bennie Moten until the bandleader’s death in 1935.
Rushing was hired by Count Basie in 1936, and he remained with the band until 1950. His bluesy vocals and piano playing were a key part of the Basie sound. He was known for his signature songs “Going to Chicago” and “Sent for You Yesterday (And Here You Come Today)”. He was also known for his humorous stage presence and for his signature phrase “Five by Five”, which later became the title of a Basie album.
Rushing left the Basie band in 1950, but continued to perform with various other jazz musicians. He released several solo albums and toured the United States and Europe. Throughout his career, he was highly respected by his peers and was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993. He died in 1972, but his legacy lives on in the music of the Count Basie Orchestra and other jazz musicians.
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