A highly influential pedal steel guitarist known for his innovative and versatile playing style, which greatly impacted the development of country rock and folk music.
Red Rhodes, born Orville J. Rhodes, was a renowned American pedal steel guitarist known for his exceptional skills and innovative playing style, which earned him a coveted spot as a sought-after session musician in the 1960s and 1970s. With a career spanning over three decades, Rhodes left an indelible mark on the music industry, working with iconic artists and bands that shaped the country rock, pop, and rock genres.
Rhodes' mother introduced him to music at the tender age of five, teaching him to play the Dobro resonator guitar. By the time he turned fifteen, he had switched to the steel guitar, which would become his instrument of choice. Before devoting himself to music, Rhodes worked as a boxer and an oil company engineer. In 1960, he moved to Los Angeles, where he began his journey as a session musician, eventually becoming an integral part of the Wrecking Crew studio musicians.
Rhodes' impressive discography includes work with legendary artists such as The Monkees, Michael Nesmith, James Taylor, The Beach Boys, Seals and Crofts, The Byrds, and The Carpenters, among many others. One of his most notable collaborations was with Michael Nesmith, with whom he worked on several solo albums in the early 1970s. Rhodes' innovative pedal steel playing also contributed to the otherworldly effects on The Ventures' groundbreaking LP, The Ventures in Space, released in 1964.
In the late 1970s, Rhodes shifted his focus from performing to guitar electronics, opening his Royal Amplifier Service shop in Hollywood, California. At the shop, he modified amplifiers and created custom Velvet Hammer guitar pickups for notable guitarists, including James Burton and Clarence White. Rhodes' shop staff included future instrument makers David Schecter, Michael Tobias, and Bill Chapin. Although rheumatoid arthritis restricted his public performances and recordings in the 1980s and 1990s, Rhodes made a notable appearance on Michael Nesmith's Tropical Campfires album and tour in 1992.
Rhodes' contributions to the music industry earned him a spot in the Guitar Player Magazine's "Gallery of Greats." His innovative playing style and instrumental innovations continue to inspire generations of musicians.
Rhodes passed away on August 20, 1995, due to interstitial lung fibrosis. Despite his untimely passing, Red Rhodes' legacy lives on through his remarkable body of work, which continues to influence and inspire musicians and music enthusiasts alike.
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