Artist Biography by Richard Skelly
Blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Sonny Rhodes is such a talented
songwriter, so full of musical ideas, that he's destined to inherit the
to seats left open by the untimely passing of blues greats like Albert
King and Albert Collins.
Born November 3, 1940 in Smithville, TX, he was the sixth and last child
of Le Roy and Julia Smith, who were sharecroppers. Rhodes began playing
seriously when he was 12, although he got his first guitar when he was
eight as a Christmas present. Rhodes began performing around Smithville
and nearby Austin in the late '50s, while still in his teens. Rhodes
listened to a lot of T-Bone Walker when he was young, and it shows in
his playing today. Other guitarists he credits as being influences
include Pee Wee Crayton and B.B. King. Rhodes' first band, Clarence
Smith & the Daylighters, played the Austin area blues clubs before
Rhodes decided to join the Navy after graduating from high school.
In the Navy, he moved west to California, where he worked for a while as
a radio man and closed-circuit Navy ship disc jockey, telling off-color
jokes in between the country and blues records he would spin for the
entertainment of the sailors.
Rhodes recorded a single for Domino Records in Austin, "I'll Never Let
You Go When Something Is Wrong," in 1958, and also learned to play bass.
He played bass behind Freddie King and his friend Albert Collins. After
his stint in the Navy, Rhodes returned to California while in his
mid-twenties, and lived in Fresno for a few years before hooking up a
deal with Galaxy Records in Oakland. In 1966, he recorded a single, "I
Don't Love You No More" b/w "All Night Long I Play the Blues." He
recorded another single for Galaxy in 1967 and then in 1978, out of
total frustration with the San Francisco Bay Area record companies, he
recorded "Cigarette Blues" b/w "Bloodstone Beat" on his own label.
Rhodes toured Europe in 1976, and that opened a whole new European
market to him, and he was recorded by several European labels, but
without much success. His European recordings include I Don't Want My
Blues Colored Bright and a live album, In Europe. In desperation again,
Rhodes went into the studio again to record an album in 1985, Just
Blues, on his own Rhodesway label.
Fortunately, things have been on track for Rhodes since the late '80s,
when he began recording first for the Ichiban label and later for
Kingsnake. His albums for Ichiban include Disciple of the Blues (1991)
and Living Too Close to the Edge (1992).
More recently, Rhodes has gotten better distribution of his albums with
the Sanford, Florida-based Kingsnake label. Aside from his self-produced
1985 release Just Blues (now available on compact disc through Evidence
Music), his best albums include the ones he's recorded for Kingsnake,
for these are the records that have gotten Rhodes and his various backup
bands out on the road together throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
They include The Blues Is My Best Friend, and his 1995 release, Out of
Control. On these albums we hear Rhodes, the fully developed songwriter,
and not surprisingly, both releases drew high marks from blues critics.
Note: Sonny passed away on 14 December 2021.
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Biografía del artista por Richard Skelly
El guitarrista, cantante y compositor de blues Sonny Rhodes es un
compositor tan talentoso, tan lleno de ideas musicales, que está
destinado a heredar los asientos dejados abiertos por el inoportuno paso
de grandes del blues como Albert King y Albert Collins.
Nacido el 3 de noviembre de 1940 en Smithville, TX, fue el sexto y
último hijo de Le Roy y Julia Smith, que eran aparceros. Rhodes empezó a
tocar en serio a los 12 años, aunque recibió su primera guitarra a los 8
años como regalo de Navidad. Rhodes comenzó a tocar en Smithville y en
la cercana Austin a finales de los 50, cuando aún era un adolescente.
Rhodes escuchó mucho a T-Bone Walker cuando era joven, y eso se nota en
su forma de tocar hoy en día. Otros guitarristas a los que atribuye
influencias son Pee Wee Crayton y B.B. King. La primera banda de Rhodes,
Clarence Smith & the Daylighters, tocaba en los clubes de blues de
la zona de Austin antes de que Rhodes decidiera unirse a la Marina tras
graduarse en el instituto.
En la Marina, se mudó al oeste a California, donde trabajó durante un
tiempo como locutor de radio y disc-jockey de circuito cerrado de la
Marina, contando chistes a todo color entre el país y los discos de
blues que hacía girar para el entretenimiento de los marineros.
Rhodes grabó un sencillo para Domino Records en Austin, "I'll Never Let
You Go When Something Is Wrong", en 1958, y también aprendió a tocar el
bajo. Tocaba el bajo detrás de Freddie King y su amigo Albert Collins.
Después de su estancia en la Marina, Rhodes regresó a California a
mediados de sus veinte años, y vivió en Fresno durante unos años antes
de cerrar un acuerdo con Galaxy Records en Oakland. En 1966, grabó un
single, "I Don't Love You No More" b/n "All Night Long I Play the
Blues". Grabó otro single para Galaxy en 1967 y luego en 1978, por la
total frustración de las compañías discográficas de la bahía de San
Francisco, grabó "Cigarette Blues" b/n "Bloodstone Beat" en su propio
sello. Rhodes realizó una gira por Europa en 1976, lo que le abrió todo
un nuevo mercado europeo, y fue grabado por varios sellos europeos, pero
sin mucho éxito. Sus grabaciones europeas incluyen "I Don't Want My
Blues Colored Bright" y un álbum en vivo, "In Europe". Desesperado otra
vez, Rhodes fue al estudio de nuevo para grabar un álbum en 1985, Just
Blues, en su propio sello Rhodesway.
Afortunadamente, las cosas han estado en marcha para Rhodes desde
finales de los 80, cuando empezó a grabar primero para el sello Ichiban y
después para Kingsnake. Sus álbumes para Ichiban incluyen Disciple of
the Blues (1991) y Living Too Close to the Edge (1992).
Más recientemente, Rhodes ha conseguido una mejor distribución de sus
álbumes con el sello Kingsnake, con sede en Sanford, Florida. Aparte de
su auto-producido lanzamiento de 1985 Just Blues (ahora disponible en
disco compacto a través de Evidence Music), sus mejores álbumes incluyen
los que ha grabado para Kingsnake, ya que estos son los discos que han
llevado a Rhodes y a sus varias bandas de respaldo a salir a la
carretera juntos a través de los EE.UU., Canadá y Europa. Incluyen The
Blues Is My Best Friend, y su lanzamiento en 1995, Out of Control. En
estos álbumes escuchamos a Rhodes, el compositor completamente
desarrollado, y no es sorprendente que ambos lanzamientos hayan recibido
altas calificaciones de los críticos de blues.
Nota: Sonny falleció el 14 de diciembre de 2021.
1 - One More Drink -
2 - Take The Bitter With The Sweet -
3 - Just Got In -
4 - All Night Long They Play The Blues -
5 - Killing Floor -
6 - I'm So Lonely -
7 - Country Boy -
8 - How Long -
9 - J.J's Blues In G -
10 - Stranded -
11 - Sitting & Thinking
Credits:
Sonny Rhodes – vocals, guitar
J.J. Malone – piano, vocals
Charles Banks, Steve Gomes – bass
Mike Watson – guitar
Brad Johnson – alto saxophone
Michael Marcus – baritone saxophone
Ken Baker – tenor saxophone
Harold Attyberry – trumpet
Gary Smith - harmonica
Harold Banks, Richard Milton – drums
1977
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