Friday, April 10, 2009

Tom Rush releases first studio album in 35 years

VIENNA, Virginia – Tom Rush says he's the biggest slacker in folk music. It took him 35 years to release his latest CD, "What I Know."

He blames a combination of "sloth," "inertia" and trouble landing a record deal for the long delay.

The 68-year-old Rush was touring most of those years, except for the time he tried farming.

While Rush co-wrote seven of the 15 tracks on the album, he's primarily known for being an interpreter of other artists' music. He was the first to record songs by Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Jackson Browne. Taylor has even credited Rush with his career. But Rush has never become as famous as those whose songs he sings.