Red Rhodes
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
Top
Red Rhodes
- Genres: Country
Biography
Red Rhodes was one of the most versatile steel guitarists in country music. Born Orville J. Rhodes in East Alston, IL, his mother taught him to play the dobro when he was only five; at 15, he switched to the lap steel guitar, using a homemade stand. He played his first professional gig alongside his stepfather before moving to L.A. in 1960 to do session work. Eight years later, he was one of the most in-demand sessionmen on the West Coast and played with artists like the Byrds. Rhodes and his band played at the Palomino in L.A. during the late '60s and worked on various Michael Nesmith sessions, which led to occassional work as a steel player for the Monkees. He remained with Nesmith through both incarnations of the group, and continued his session work throughout the '70s, appearing with James Taylor, John Phillips, the Carpenters, Carole King, Chilli Willi & the Red Hot Peppers, and Seals & Crofts. He has released a few solo albums, including Red Rhodes' Steel Guitar (1979) and Fantastic Steel Guitar (1980). Rhodes' playing was limited in the '80s and early '90s by the rheumatoid arthritis that affected the use of his hands. He devoted his time instead to his amp shop, occasionally making appearances at the International Steel Guitar Festival. In 1995, he played on Nesmith's Tropical Campfires album and toured with him. Shortly after he completed the tour, he fell ill, succumbing to interstitial lung fibrosis on August 20, 1995. ~ Sandra Brennan, RoviWikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Red Rhodes
| Red Rhodes | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Orville J. Rhodes |
| Born | December 30, 1930 in Alton, Illinois |
| Died | August 20, 1995 (aged 64) in Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Country, country rock |
| Instruments | Pedal steel guitar |
| Years active | 1960s - 1990s |
| Labels | Crown, Countryside, Exact, Happy Tiger, Alshire |
| Associated acts | Michael Nesmith and The First National Band, among many others |
Orville J. Rhodes, better known as Red Rhodes or O. J. Rhodes (December 30, 1930 - August 20, 1995), was an American pedal steel guitarist. His mother taught him to play the Dobro at the age of five, but at the age of fifteen he switched to the steel guitar. He moved to Los Angeles in 1960 and became a session musician.[1]
Rhodes played pedal steel on many country rock, pop and rock albums with The Monkees, James Taylor, The Beach Boys, Seals and Crofts, The Byrds, The Carpenters and many other groups. He is most often remembered for his work with former Monkee Michael Nesmith on Nesmith's first solo albums in the early 1970s.[2] Rhodes is also credited for the "other-worldly" effects he created with pedal steel on The Ventures futuristic album The Ventures in Space in 1964.[3]
In the late 1970s Rhodes shifted his focus from performing to guitar electronics at his Royal Amplifier Service shop in Hollywood, California. There Rhodes modified amplifiers and created his custom Velvet Hammer guitar pickups for James Burton, Clarence White and other influential guitarists.[4] His shop staff included future instrument makers David Schecter, Michael Tobias and Bill Chapin.
Rheumatoid arthritis restricted Rhodes' public performances and recordings in the 1980s and 1990s, with the notable exception of his appearance on Michael Nesmith's Tropical Campfires album and tour in 1992. Rhodes fell ill soon after this tour, and died on August 20, 1995.[1]
|
Contents
|
Discography
Solo projects
- Once a Day, 1961, Crown
- Blue Blue Day, 1962, Crown
- Steel Guitar Rag, 1963, Crown
- Red Rhodes Live at The Palomino, 1969, Happy Tiger
- Velvet Hammer in a Cowboy Band, 1973, Countryside
- Red Rhodes' Steel Guitar, 1979, Alshire
- Fantastic Steel Guitar, 1980, Exact
- Steel Guitar Favorites, 1990, Alshire
Session work
- The Ventures in Space, 1964, The Ventures
- Begin, 1968, The Millennium
- Notorious Byrd Brothers, 1968, The Byrds
- The Wichita Train Whistle Sings, 1968, Michael Nesmith
- Bubble Gum, Lemonade & Something for Mama, 1969, Cass Elliot
- Instant Replay, 1969, The Monkees
- It's Not Killing Me, 1969, Mike Bloomfield
- John Phillips, 1969, John Phillips
- Hand Sown ... Home Grown, 1969, Linda Ronstadt
- Nancy, 1969 Nancy Sinatra
- Weeds, 1969, Brewer & Shipley
- The Blue Marble, 1969, Sagittarius
- Magnetic South, 1970, Michael Nesmith
- Loose Salute, 1970, Michael Nesmith
- Sweet Baby James, 1970, James Taylor
- Tom Rush, 1970, Tom Rush
- Nevada Fighter, 1971, Michael Nesmith
- Possum, 1971, Possum
- Lead Free, 1972, B. W. Stevenson
- One Man Dog, 1972, James Taylor
- Rhymes and Reasons, 1972, Carole King
- Son of Schmilsson, 1972, Harry Nilsson
- A Song for You, 1972, The Carpenters
- Summer Breeze, 1972, Seals & Crofts
- Tantamount to Treason, 1972, Michael Nesmith
- And the Hits Just Keep on Comin', 1972, Michael Nesmith
- Willis Alan Ramsey, 1972, Willis Alan Ramsey
- Five & Dime, 1973, David Ackles
- Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash 1973, Michael Nesmith
- Valley Hi, 1973, Ian Matthews
- Calabasas, 1974, B. W. Stevenson
- L.A. Turnaround, 1974, Bert Jansch
- Black Bach, 1974, Lamont Dozier
- The Prison, 1974, Michael Nesmith
- Diamonds & Rust, 1975, Joan Baez
- Horizon, 1975, The Carpenters
- Marriott, 1975, Steve Marriott
- Midnight on the Water, 1975, David Bromberg
- Sweet America, 1976, Buffy Sainte-Marie
- Frolicking in the Myth, 1977, Steven Fromholz
- Road Songs, 1977, Hoyt Axton
- The Way I Am, 1981, Billy Preston
- Tropical Campfires, 1992, Michael Nesmith
References
- ^ a b Brennan, Sandra. "Red Rhodes - Biography". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p20158. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ^ "Biography for Red Rhodes". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722509/bio. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ^ Eden, Dawn (1992). The Ventures Play Telstar, The Lonely Bull and Others/Ventures in Space (CD insert). Hollywood, CA: EMI America Records. E2-80239. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1098646.
- ^ "Products". Velvet Hammer Pickups. http://www.velvethammerpickups.com/Products.php. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
Read more
Mentioned in
Listen to the Band
(1997 Album by Michael Nesmith)
Listen to the Band [Bonus Tracks]
(2006 Album by Michael Nesmith)
Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash
(1973 Album by Michael Nesmith)
16 Original Classics
(1999 Album by Michael Nesmith)
Ventures in Space
(1963 Album by The Ventures)
» More