Rolling Stone magazine credited legendary singer/songwriter Tom Rush with ushering in the era of the singer-songwriter. That was decades ago, and Tom is still at it, discovering new talent that he showcases on his Rockport Sundays, broadcast from his home in Southern Maine.
We recently talked with Tom, reflecting on a career that spans more than 60 years. A few years ago, he started a farewell tour, repeated it the next year, and then dropped “farewell” and kept performing.
He’ll be at the Narrows in Fall River on Saturday. Tickets are available from the theater or Tom’s website.
A Harvard graduate (English Literature), Tom would find himself during his college years playing in clubs around Cambridge, and after graduation often at Club 47, influencing the likes of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Jackson Browne. “Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but one of my main influences,” Taylor told Rolling Stone.
We talk about those years, his impressions (and stories) of Bob Dylan, of promising young singer/writers, many of whom he spotlights on his Rockport Sundays.
And he’s still writing songs, performing, and recording.
Of Tom’s most recent album,, Gardens Old, Flowers New, FolkAlley said it “is vintage Tom Rush. His lyrical whimsy and ingenuity captures moments of human vulnerability and celebrates the joys of life and love. Rush has a gift for matching just the right musical notes to evoke the emotions his lyrics embody.”
We talk about that album, and two others he hopes to release in the not-too-distant future. Listen to the interview here: