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Jimmy Rushing

James Andrew Rushing (August 26, 1901 – June 8, 1972) was an American singer and pianist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948.

Rushing was known as "Mr. Five by Five" and was the subject of an eponymous 1942 popular song that was a hit for Harry James and others; the lyrics describe Rushing's rotund build: "he's five feet tall and he's five feet wide". He joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1927 and then joined Bennie Moten's band in 1929. He stayed with the successor Count Basie band when Moten died in 1935.

Rushing said that his first time singing in front of an audience was in 1924. He was playing piano at a club when the featured singer, Carlyn Williams, invited him to do a vocal. "I got out there and broke it up. I was a singer from then on," he said.

Rushing was a powerful singer who had a range from baritone to tenor. He has sometimes been classified as a blues shouter. He could project his voice so that it soared over the horn and reed sections in a big-band setting. Basie claimed that Rushing "never had an equal" as a blues vocalist, though Rushing "really thought of himself as a ballad singer." George Frazier, the author of Harvard Blues, called Rushing's voice "a magnificent gargle". Dave Brubeck defined Rushing's status among blues singers as "the daddy of them all." Late in his life, Rushing said of his singing style, "I don't know what kind of blues singer you'd call me. I just sing 'em." Among his best-known recordings are "Going to Chicago", with Basie, and "Harvard Blues", with a saxophone solo by Don Byas.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 26, 1901 (Oklahoma City), Died June 8, 1972 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1947

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, lyricist, songwriter

Notes: Listed on some disc labels as James Rushing.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 42 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BRC-53012 10-in. 4/15/1931 Ya got love Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BVE-62909 10-in. 10/27/1930 Won't you be my baby? Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist, lyricist  
Victor BVE-62912 10-in. 10/28/1930 That too, do Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BVE-62921 10-in. 10/29/1930 Liza Lee Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BVE-62922 10-in. 10/30/1930 Get goin' (Get ready to love) Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BVE-62924 10-in. 10/30/1930 When I'm alone Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist, vocalist  
Victor BVE-62926 10-in. 10/30/1930 As long as I love you Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BVE-62927 10-in. 10/31/1930 Somebody stole my gal Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BVE-62928 10-in. 10/31/1930 Now that I need you Count Basie ; Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BRC-68900 10-in. 4/15/1931 I wanna be around my baby all the time Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BS-74850 10-in. 12/13/1932 New Orleans Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Victor BS-03872 10-in. 12/30/1936 He ain't got rhythm Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band vocalist  
Victor BS-031876 10-in. 2/1/1939 Sent for you yesterday and here you come today Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Johnny Mercer Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor D7VB-0405 10-in. 1/3/1947 Brand new wagon Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter, vocalist  
Victor D7VB-0895 10-in. 5/22/1947 The jungle king (you ain't a doggone thing) Count Basie ; Count Basie Orchestra Male vocal solo, with vocal group and jazz/dance band vocalist  
Victor D7VB-1090 10-in. 10/19/1947 Don't you want a man like me Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, lyricist  
Victor D7VB-2169 10-in. 12/8/1947 Your red wagon Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
Victor D7VB-2170 10-in. 12/8/1947 Money is honey Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
Victor D7VB-2187 10-in. 12/12/1947 Hey, pretty baby Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist  
Victor D7VB-2189 10-in. 12/12/1947 Bye, bye, baby Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist, vocalist  
Columbia CO35730 10-in. 2/4/1946 Lazy lady blues Count Basie ; Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Brunswick KC612 10-in. 11/10/1929 Blue Devil blues Original Blue Devils ; Walter Page Jazz/dance band, with vocal songwriter, vocalist  
Decca 61543 10-in. 1/21/1937 Pennies from heaven Count Basie Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 62078 10-in. 3/26/1937 Exactly like you Count Basie Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 62079 10-in. 3/26/1937 Boo-Hoo Count Basie Orchestra vocalist  
(Results 1-25 of 42 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Rushing, Jimmy," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103465.

Rushing, Jimmy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103465.

"Rushing, Jimmy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103465

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