The Port City Blues Society has announced a special concert appearance by three-time Grammy Award winner Bobby Rush, bringing one of blues music’s most celebrated performers back to the city where his legendary career began.
The concert will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, as a special edition of the organization’s “Midtown Blues”concert series. The event will be held at RJ’s Grill & Bar, located at 128 S. Main Street in downtown Pine Bluff.
Rush will perform two shows on the same evening, with doors opening at 5 p.m. for the first show and 8:30 p.m. for the second. The Port City Blues Players will open both performances, followed by Bobby Rush and his band. After each show, Rush is expected to greet and visit with concertgoers.
Admission is $25, with tickets available in advance by calling (870) 510-1910. The concert is sponsored by Midtown Tire and Auto, ExplorePineBluff.com, and the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission.
Rush’s appearance comes shortly after a tour and collaboration with guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, a project that earned Rush his eighth Grammy nomination. Organizers say the concert is a homecoming of sorts for the blues icon, who has long credited Pine Bluff as the place that launched his career.
In 2019, a portion of Third Avenue was officially named “Bobby Rush Way” in honor of his musical achievements and deep ties to the community. That same year, Rush was named an honorary lifetime member of the Port City Blues Society, which is based in Pine Bluff and affiliated with The Blues Foundation.
Known worldwide as the “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit,” Rush has enjoyed a career spanning more than seven decades. He has earned multiple Blues Music Awards, three Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006. The Arkansas House of Representatives has also passed a resolution recognizing his contributions to music.
Born Emmett Ellis Jr., Rush moved with his family to the Pine Bluff area around 1947. As a teenager, he began performing in local juke joints such as Nappy’s and Jitterbugs, often wearing a fake mustache to appear old enough to get inside. It was in Pine Bluff that Rush formed early friendships with blues greats including Elmore James, Boyd Gilmore, and pianist Johnny “Big Moose” Walker.
After relocating to Chicago in the early 1950s, Rush worked with blues legends such as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Albert King. His first major commercial success came in the early 1970s with the Billboard R&B hit “Chicken Heads,” which reached No. 34. He later released his first full album, Rush Hour, in 1979, featuring another hit, “I Wanna Do the Do.”
Rush has recorded dozens of albums and built a loyal fan base both nationally and internationally. His album Raw earned him the Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year award in 2007, while Hoochie Momma received a Grammy nomination in 2001. His 2016 release Porcupine Meat went on to win a Grammy the following year.
The Port City Blues Society continues its mission to preserve and promote blues music and Delta blues culture while educating the public about the region’s rich musical history. In addition to special concerts, the organization hosts a free weekly blues jam every Wednesday night at RJ’s Grill & Bar from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
