Tom Rush in a video greeting on his Facebook page on April 7, 2020
Singer-songwriting legend Tom Rush announced on Tuesday (April 7) that he is now “Covid-free and immune.” On March 28, Rush revealed that he had tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.
In a three-minute video greeting posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday evening, Rush said, “I got off very easy… and I’ve still got some recovery to do.”
He thanked his fans for their thoughts and prayers “and good vibrations. I’m so much better… thank you! Thank you!”
Rush went on to urge his fans to stay at home, out of harm’s way.
In an email sent to his newsletter subscribers on March 28, Rush, 79, said that he “strongly suspects” he contracted the Coronavirus during a run of concerts in early March. He warned fans in attendance at those shows to be “extra-vigilant for symptoms.”
Rush has postponed his 2020 tour until at least September-October, “and it wouldn’t surprise me if those got moved as well,” he said in the April 7 video greeting. “We’ll have to see how this moves through the country and when it’s possible to get back on stage.”
The musician also shared that he’s working on a book about what it’s like to be a traveling musician.
1968’s The Circle Game
Although he is considered a major influence on many of the greatest singer-songwriters from the ’60s onward, Rush has recorded only a few dozen original compositions during his career, preferring to interpret the words of others. The New England-based singer-guitarist, who released his first album in 1962, was among the very first to record future standards by then-fledgling performers Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Jackson Browne on his 1968 album The Circle Game; he later showcased young singer-songwriters such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin.
His newsletter from March 28:
Gang,
I have just tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. I have no idea where I picked it up but strongly suspect it was sometime on or after March 11th when I was on my way north from my string of shows in NC, GA and FL early in March.
Nonetheless, out of an abundance of caution, IF you were at any of the shows listed here, and were shaking hands or taking selfies with me in the lobby during intermission or at the end of the evening, PLEASE be extra-vigilant for symptoms (fever, headache, dry cough, nausea).
March 4th, Isis, Asheville, NC
March 5th, Eddie’s Attic, Decatur, GA
March 7th, Lyric Theatre, Stuart, FL
March 9th, Studios, Key West, FL
March 10th, Kravis Center, West Palm
Be well, stay well!
Watch Rush perform earlier this year
Rush was born February 8, 1941 in Portsmouth, NH. His official bio accurately notes, “His distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.”
Related: Jackson Browne has also tested positive for the virus
2 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationVery nicely written – Truly an American Treasure!
People, this is real !
Stop going out.