Grammy-nominated and legendary Blues musician Bobby Rush will make a guest appearance Friday, Oct. 23, with the St. Aloysius Marching Band at halftime of the St. Aloysius High School football game against Riverfield Academy.

The theme for the St. Aloysius Band this year is Bringing Home the Blues, and Band Director Vickie Hopkins, a southern soul blues singer in her own right (she is known by her maiden name Vickie Baker in the R&B world), thought that bringing Rush in to close out the football season would be a once in a lifetime experience for the students.

“We want to pack the house for Bobby Rush on October 23,” she said.

“It will be a great time for our students, fans, and the community to get to experience a musician of this caliber in an informal setting.”

Hopkins said as a Soul and Blues artist and high school band director, she finds her careers crossing paths at time.

“A lot of times, my careers mix,” she said. “I try to use my both of my careers to teach my kids.”

Hopkins chose Bringing Home the Blues as the theme for the year due to her friend BB King’s death.

“I opened up for him numerous times, and because of his recent death I thought it would be a perfect time to bring the blues to the forefront and teach my kids at the same time,” she said.

“I was thinking of a good closer, and I knew I needed to bring someone big in. I knew it would be something good for the kids and something they would never forget.”

Hopkins said her students have been really excited to hear Rush would be coming to play with them.

“A lot of them know him through me,” she said. “We did a song together, and they’ve seen his picture on my wall. They know of him, but I had them pull him up and research him so they could know more about him.”

Hopkins said she believes much of today’s music is watered down and she wants her students to experience authentic music that is an art.

“This whole year has been about the blues, teaching the blues, playing the blues and trying to get them to feel the blues,” she said. “If we don’t, it will become a lost art.”

Hopkins also wanted to extend a thank you to Rush for going out of his way to make this event possible.

“He is so nice to do this for us,” she said. “He is detouring from one gig to another to do this just for us.”

Bobby Rush has been singing the Blues for more than 60 years, mentored by some of the giants in the Blues world, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James, and Little Walter to name a few.

Baker and Rush have performed at numerous music festivals and concerts together, such as the MS Delta Blues Festival.

The last home game for the Flashes will also celebrate the Senior football players, cheerleaders, flashettes, band members, swimmers and cross country runners with a presentation before the game. Admission to the game which will include the performance by Rush is $8 for adults, and $7 for children.