Americana music has had leading figures with global success, fully immersed in the mainstream of mass recognition, sometimes with only modest merit to show for it. Artists like Ry Cooder, Taj Mahal, JJ Cale, and Delbert McClinton validated the musical relevance of the term and, defying all prejudices, created a new kind of music that could embrace any part of the American pop songbook. While the genre has opened doors to a vast array of artists and styles, it has also kept hidden many wonderful musicians rooted in blues, soul, country, or rock 'n' roll who never received the recognition they truly deserved. Rusty Ends is one of them. A Kentucky native, he lived on the dusty backroads, spending most of his life traveling secondary freeways, playing in bars, juke joints, and venues of questionable reputation. Musically, he rose from the depths to the surface, building a life story that runs parallel to his songs, with a unique style that reflects his authenticity.
In 1969, he made his first recording, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” with the band Cooper ‘n’ Brass. In 1992, he led The Rusty Spoon Blues Band, with whom he released "Midnight Screams" in 1994. Rusty Ends has performed in backing bands for legends like The Shirelles, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Marvelettes, The Little River Band, and bluesman Eddie Kirkland.
"Roadhouses, Juke Joints and Honky-Tonks" is his second original album through Earwig Music, a collection of fifteen songs that brilliantly explore the most meaningful side of the American songbook.