Bobby Rush Plays Grand Ole Opry; My Library of Congress Award

“Professional photographer and documentarian Karen Pulfer Focht from Memphis, Tennessee, received an Owen Award to continue and expand her work documenting the legendary bluesman Bobby Rush.” The Library of Congress American Folklife Center
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2023/07/afc-fellowship-and-award-recipients-2023/?loclr=eaftb

So, with the support of the Library of Congress, I continue to document the rising star of 92-year-old, Grammy award-winning bluesman Bobby Rush as he makes his debut at the Grand Ole Opry. Thank you so much! Karen

Three-time Grammy Award-winning blues legend Bobby Rush,91, made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry on SaturdayAugust 2, 2025.

This year marks the Opry’s 100th Anniversary. He performed with guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd with whom he recently recorded.

Rush, who lives in Mississippi, is one of the last 20th-century bluesmen. But his taste in music is not exclusive. He said he has always loved country music, especially by contemporary Willie Nelson.

He said he was so honored to be invited to perform on the same stage that Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton and other greats have performed.

At one point in his life, it seemed unobtainable.

There was a time when Rush was hired to play for an all-white audience outside of Chicago. He and his band had to play behind a curtain. “They wanted to hear our music but didn’t want to see our faces.” That hurt him deeply inside.

They got paid with chitlins and cheeseburgers. Rush sold his to make the extra money.

For decades the popular entertainer reigned over the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” a network of Black nightclubs that hosted Black entertainers and audiences. That legacy earned him the nickname King of the Chitlin’ Circuit.

He has been recording 72 years and has sold many of his more than 300 records out of his car trunk at shows and festivals.

“I never thought I’d play here, this is success to me,” he says, nibbling on some popcorn and sipping some lemonade backstage at the Opry.

In the time between the sound check and showtime, Rush goes into the dressing room he shares with Shepherd and Shepherds six children. Pictures of famous country artists adorn the walls. Quotes from the stars are written above and to the side of the many photographs.

A very relaxed Rush, dressed in his slick showbiz attire, grabs a quick power nap in a chair as the kids bang on the piano, run, and play. A few minutes before he and Shepherd are called onto the stage, Rush pops up and opens his eyes. He follows the stage director backstage, waiting in the wings to go out and perform.

He dances on stage, making jokes, playing his harmonica, and having a musical conversation with Shepherd on guitar. He gets the crowd singing with him, and he brings them to their feet. They give him a standing ovation; he soaks in the moment.

“Now I feel in my heart that I am successful because I played the Opry House.”

Bobby Rush, whose real name is Emmett Ellis Jr., says his life has been filled with much grace and mercy. “I have lived long enough to see the changes in people’s hearts and minds” and for that he is very grateful.

 BY KAREN PULFER FOCHT ©2025

For previous coverage:

https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/tag/Bluesman+Bobby+Rush

For some Videos I have shot on Bobby:

https://youtu.be/nHPJOK143M4 (Southern Folklore Festival)

https://youtu.be/ppMIN4yeBGA (At the Levitt Shell in Memphis)

https://youtu.be/NGFGe5F3L9o (Bobby Rush plays at funeral for Pinetop Perkins)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to81fyxzPm8 (At the Blues Foundation in Memphis)

Bobby Rush was at the Memphis funeral procession for B.B. King in 2015. He also performed in Handy Park that day. https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/2015/5/27/bb-king-funeral-procession-beale-street

Previous article I worked on :

https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/bobbyrushchitlincircut

https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/bobbyrushwinsgrammy

The Magic of Christmas Then and Now

For more than two decades, people have been enjoying a picture, a fleeting moment

that I captured one day, by chance, at Wolfchase Galleria on December 23 rd , 2002 in

Memphis, Tennessee.

I worked the early morning shift for the newspaper, and it was a typical morning chasing

the news. I heard on the police scanner that an armored truck had been robbed. It was

a couple of days before Christmas.

The world was slowing down, the holiday was approaching.

At a time like this in the news business, the team works like squirrels, gathering what we

call “evergreen” stories, stories that can run in the paper any time, with no news peg, no

deadline, or urgency. That way people could work ahead, and we could staff the

newsroom, which was staffed 365 days a year, with a minimal crew.

I got my photo of the robbery scene before many of the staff even came into

work at the paper for the day. I was waiting for the press conference to start to get the

details of what had happened. While waiting for that, I went over to see what was

happening with Santa at the mall.

I was always eager to photograph Santa and the children. I have always loved to

photograph kids, dogs, and the elderly.

The photo editors made it clear that they had had enough of Santa for this season—no

more Santa photos. But I couldn’t resist. Even if it would not get published, I wanted to

make photographs of kids with Santa.

As a professional photographer, you spend a lot of time photographing what other

people want. It is important to never lose your own voice. It is important to always

continue to shoot that which brings you joy too!

I patiently hung back with a long telephoto lens, watched, waited and shot sweet

children eager to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.

I felt sure I had some cute photos. I tried to make a hard sell to the photo desk, but they

were not having it. We really don’t need any more Santa photos this season Karen, they

said.

When I came into the paper to turn out my day’s work, I had what I considered a

magical frame. The frame appeared to have a little girl and Santa sharing a very special

Christmas moment. I had to make a case to get it into the paper. I remember Otis

Sanford, one of the top editors, pushed to run it. He loved it. It ran on page one!

The next day, Christmas Eve, I got such an amazing response from our

readers! People just loved the photo. They wrote in and called. So many people were

touched by the photograph. One man wrote a letter to the editor saying it brought tears

to his eyes.

There was just something magical and heartwarming about this photograph.

As a photojournalist, I have always said, that touching the reader in a way that influences

them, and makes them write or call, laugh or cry, or even better rise into action, has

always meant more to me than any award ever could.

At the time, people cut the photo out of the paper, and many bring it out year after year

at Christmas. When I am long gone, this photo will be one of the photos that I am

going to be remembered by.

I wanted to let the family know how much this photo meant to the community. I wrote to

them more than once but never heard back. People asked if I could do a follow up with

the young girl, but I was never able to make contact.

Now more than 20 years later, with the help of social media, I found Affiong Enyenihi.

She was only a couple of miles from where I took the photograph and living in an

apartment with friends.

So, what ever happened to Affiong?

Affiong Enyenihi was born to Nigerian parents. She was brought up in Collierville. Her

father is a doctor, and her mother worked with children. They are very private people.

Affiong has her master’s degree, she loves history and is teaching in an inner-city

school here in Memphis. She left the area for a while but came back. She loves working

with the students but it is challenging.

“I want to try and make their lives better. Try to give the children opportunities and show

them what there is out there for them. There is a huge gap to close,” she says. She is

thinking now about getting her doctorate.

For her entire life, Affiong has lived in two worlds. Her American world and her Nigerian

world.

“It is hard being looked at differently “she explained. While a child, she did not want to

stand out by bringing unique food to school and she wanted an American name,

perhaps Rachel. Like most teenagers going to school at Houston High, she wanted to

be like everyone else. She was shy. She always enjoyed children; she was a camp

counselor at St. Columba, a popular summer camp in Memphis.

She was also born into a wonderful Nigerian community here. Her parents have a

church community, and they share birthdays, anniversaries and other social events with

the Nigerians in the area. They love the American South.

“Nigerians like to share their culture” she said. But she still felt awkward when, as a kid,

she brought her friends along and they didn’t want to eat any of the food, and they

wanted to go home.

When you are young, you know that people are not living the same culture as you. She

remembers not wanting to be different, but she also appreciated her culture, and she’d

never want to leave it behind. “Not everyone gets to have two cultures” she said.

“I think I’ve always just wanted to be my parents’ daughter more than anything else.”

She will continue to enjoy dual cultures and stay close to her parents.

“The way my mom raised me was to find similarities with other people, even if people do

things differently, you can always find something in common.”

What a beautiful thought for this holiday season.

As for how they spend Christmas, “In Nigeria, the way we celebrate Christmas is

different, we go to church on Christmas Day, we celebrate with friends, we eat different

things, decorate and throw a party. We do celebrate Christmas; we have Father

Christmas. I think Christmas can be magical even without a celebration of Santa. “

When she was a kid, her neighbor had kept a newspaper clipping of my photo of her

with Santa. She knew the photo existed. But she really had no idea what it meant to

anyone else. Her mother has photos of her all over the house, but none with Santa.

That day at the mall, she was just a kid who wanted to see Santa. And she was

delighted, that her mom said yes, and I was lucky enough to capture that magical,

fleeting moment in time that reminded so many of the magic of Christmas.

By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2024

Interview with Karen Pulfer Focht- Professional Photojournalist in Memphis

A street scene from Coney Island, New York By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2024

I was recently interviewed for Shoutout LA, a part of the Los Angeles-based Voyage Group of Magazines. They also published a few of my favorite photos, they asked me about parenting, about my mentors, the challenges I have faced and they asked about what I love about our city Memphis, Tennessee.

As they grow and spread their work to other cities and build community across the country, they ask their interviewees questions designed to spark meaningful conversations. Questions about life, work, love, parenting, finances, and more.

Here is a link to my interview.

Link to Shout Out LA Interview with Karen Pulfer Focht

2023 Ameripolitan Awards

Visual Highlights from the 2023 Ameripolitan Music Awards

THE AMERIPOLITAN AWARDS ARE HOSTED BY DALE WATSON AND CELINE LEE

Each year, a mix of quirky and eccentric musical artists come together for a reunion and celebration with like-minded people in Memphis, Tennessee. Performers are honored and supported while having fun and sharing their music at the Ameripolitan Music Awards which are hosted by American Country singer and songwriter Dale Watson and his wife, singer Celine Lee. This year’s awards were held at the Guest House at Graceland Feb. 17-19th, 2023.

The event has been on hold for the past few years due to the pandemic but is once again in full swing.

You can find a list of the winners here.

Lucky for Memphians, the event is held right here in Bluff City and it offers hours of endless fun. Their four-day-long party rotates between Hernando’s Hide-A-Way and the beautiful Guest House at Graceland while celebrating Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Rockabilly, and Outlaw genres of music.

Spiffy dancers in their best attire, swing their way across the floor, inspired by some of the nation’s top artists. Vendors come from around the country selling boots, fringe jackets, belt buckles, and clothes, sometimes gently worn, authentic, top-notch vintage outfits. Sunday evening, after brunch and a few rounds of Chicken Sh*t Bingo at Hernando’s, the crowd moves back to the Guest House for the Awards.

All of this takes place just up the street from the home of Elvis Presley, Graceland.

Memphis has become a popular tourist destination, especially for those with a passion for music. With a rich musical history, Condé Nast Traveler named Memphis one of the 23 Best Places to Go in 2023 list and the 3 Best Places to Go in the U.S. in 2023 list.

Alex Greene from the Memphis Flyer did a story to preview the event. https://www.memphisflyer.com/full-schedule-for-ameripolitan-music-awards-released

MY GIFTS HIGHLIGHTED IN MEMPHIS MAGAZINE

Special thanks to Memphis Magazine for including my art in their 2019 gift guide!

My 8 x 8 “Scenes of Memphis” canvases are featured in their Holiday Gift Guide this season. These can now be purchased at A. Schwab’s on Beale Street in downtown Memphis or from my website (www.karenpulferfocht.com).

These are perfect for grouping.

Schwab’s is a really fun place to visit, shop, and have an ice cream drink at their soda fountain. A. Schwab is the oldest surviving business on Beale Street. The store also has a few of my cards and a large selection of my Blues Coasters, always popular Memphis gifts.

https://a-schwab.com/