Spirit of America

Eddie Bush picked up his first guitar when he was four years old and it was “love at first strum.” Mesmerized and inspired by The Beatles, Elvis, the Osmond Brothers, and Glen Campbell, Bush spent hours strumming and evenutually began to develop his natural singing talent and gift for the guitar at a young age. Barely 12 years p;d, Bush discovered the larger-than-life theatrics of KISS and knew what he was meant to do. “There was absolutely no question that music was my calling,” recalls Bush, who plays with the Eddie Bush Trio this Friday, Sept. 13 at R-Pub.
Bush formed his first band before he entered junior high school and by the time he was 16 he was playing club dates as lead guitarist and singer with his own original rock bands.
In 1987, Bush met renowned Texas guitarist Eric Johnson after attending one of his shows, and a few years later, after hearing some of Bush’s music, Johnson contacted Bush and offered him the opportunity to tour with him. “In 1996, Eric (Johnson) took me on the road with him where I played House of Blues venues doing solo acoustic sets in front of 1,800 guitar fanatics each night,” says Bush. “That success really opened my eyes and I realized I had a lot more I could bring to the table. Playing the solo acoustic sets, I learned that singing and songwriting were just as important as the guitar playing, and I quickly began to focus on my creativity as a songwriter.”
As a result of touring with Johnson, additional opportunities were presented to tour with or open for wellknown artists, including Keith Urban, Ted Nugent, Sammy Hagar, Heart, Alison Krauss, Cheap Trick, Eddie Money, .38 Special, REO Speedwagon, Jefferson Starship, Georgia Satellites, Montgomery Gentry, Rick Springfield, Steve Morse, Delbert McClinton, Little River Band, Charlie Daniels, and the late Jeff Healy, among others.
In the days following the tragic events of 9/11, Bush wrote the moving anthem “Spirit of America,” which was played in heavy rotation by local, regional, and national radio stations, including Z100 in New York and the Howard Stern Show. It quickly found its way to U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf. Passed from person to person, and without radio promoters or publicists, “Spirit of America” seemed to strike a nerve with Americans domestic and abroad. Committed to helping renew the spirit of Americans, all proceeds from the sale of Spirit of America were donated to 9/11 disaster relief efforts. “For the first time in my career, I was witnessing music making tangible impact,” says Bush. “It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, in the shadow of the most traumatizing day in our nation’s history.”
On the heels of the success of “Spirit of America,” Bush was approached by the City of Charleston Police Department, which asked if he would write a song for their officers. Bush was then invited to perform his tribute to fallen officers, “The Thin Blue Line,” at the 22nd Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day Services in Washington, D.C. in front of President George W. Bush and 30,000 police officers. “Performing at the Memorial was an important opportunity for me,” says Bush. “The event was highly publicized and as a result, Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends invited me to perform ‘The Thin Blue Line’ live on the plaza at Rockefeller Center, giving me my first serious national exposure.” Keeping with the spirit of supporting our fallen heroes, a portion of the proceeds from sales of The Thin Blue Line is donated to The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
In 2005, Bush released the self-titled Eddie Bush, which featured “Hard to Stop a Train,” Bush’s first Billboard-charting single. “Hard to Stop a Train” and its accompanying video were featured frequently on GAC (Great American Country) and CMT (Country Music Television).
A passionate advocate of music education, Bush has been teaching guitar and music for nearly 20 years. In 2009, Bush partnered with Edison Learning, a company aimed at assisting teachers and communities to improve public schools and boost student performance.
“I live my life in and around music, and it’s all I’ve ever known. The biggest reward is the energy I receive from all the effort that goes in to each project and performance,” says Bush Music is an evolution; it’s all about the journey! I’ve met very talented and amazing people along the way and I look forward to that continued journey. The path isn’t always planned, but it is always straight ahead!”
 
Eddie Bush Trio plays this Friday, Septeber 13 at R-Pub, located at 1836 Ashley River Road. For more information, call 556-1975