Mike Johnson and Rhonda Vincent

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 18 Apr 2010 3:54 am

I was watching the Country Reunion on RFD television this week. Rhonda Vincent was asked to sing and she sang "Once A Day". She is a bluegrass singer from what I understand but she loves this song. She said before she sang that the steel guitar was her favorite instrument of all time. Mike Johnson did a fantastic job of playing on the song. When she was finished, Rhonda turned to Mike and said "I love that steel Mike". I just thought it was encouraging a singer from another field of music loves the steel and praised Mike Johnson for a super job. Mike just was smiling from ear to ear. If you have not seen the Country Reunion shows they are worth the time to watch.

Chuck Hall · Post by **Chuck Hall** » 18 Apr 2010 4:12 am

She sings country too.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dGLtOzAikg

Her and Gene do a duet on his new album. It don't get more 'classic country' than that.

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 18 Apr 2010 4:24 am

I had seen that video before and just did not put two and two together. Their harmonies are really good together and of course the steel sounds good too.

Chuck Hall · Post by **Chuck Hall** » 18 Apr 2010 4:31 am

I believe my CD says Sonny Garrish was the steeler on this one.

Ray McCarthy · Post by **Ray McCarthy** » 18 Apr 2010 4:32 am

Great song! There's nothing like real country harmonies.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 18 Apr 2010 5:03 am

Whatever she does, she's a class act if there ever was one. Here's a shot of my wife and Rhonda taken at a bluegrass festival in Mineral, Virginia last year. When it was over I got Rhonda to autograph my mandolin and chatted with her for a little while. She's a down to earth country girl and really knows how to treat her fans. She posed for more pictures and gave out more hugs than you'd imagine. I even got one from her and I'll have to say it made my day and I was totally in her camp from then on......A great lady with bushels of talent and she has to be the definition of "Eye Candy" for sure......JH in Va.

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 18 Apr 2010 6:10 am

Now Jerry didn't you just tell me you couldn't stare at a pretty girl for 15 minutes anymore..

Bruce Etter · Post by **Bruce Etter** » 18 Apr 2010 6:23 pm

Rhonda has done alot of background vocals also. One of my favorites is her singing with Daryle Singletary on the song "After The Fire Is Gone". The Daryle Singletary CD "I Still Sing This Way" is a MUST HAVE! Great classic stuff! Also, Mike Johnson is the steel player on the entire album.

John Coffman · Post by **John Coffman** » 19 Apr 2010 6:58 am

Rhonda has some great early Cd's that feature lots of steel and dobro. I got the pleasure of meeting her and the Rage in Woodward OK. Super nice people and they can sure put on a great show. PS She is not hard on the eyes either. As for Mike Johnson I heard him on the early stuff with Mel Street and he is one of the reasons I try to play this cheese slicer. Hope Mike can comeback to Dallas next year.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 19 Apr 2010 7:15 am

Joe, I'd have to make an exception in Rhonda's case, it's hard not to stare at her when she's around! The girl's got everything going for her. I remember seeing her on the Grand Ole Opry once playing bluegrass mandolin with her band all in matching suits and she was wearing a full length evening dress....WOW!

Chuck, thanks for posting that video of "Staying Together". I saw that on GAC a couple of weeks ago and was really knocked out by it. You can't tell me that if it was released to country radio that it wouldn't be a hit. How could a tune like that miss. I think the people who make up the playlists don't realize just how many people actually like the good old traditional stuff. Rhonda Vincent & Gene Watson, it just don't get no better than that! IMHO.....JH in Va.

Leroy Riggs · Post by **Leroy Riggs** » 19 Apr 2010 7:40 am

There are few singers in any genre that has such close harmony as Rhonda does. She is one of my favorites. Her harmony clearly comes from grass that she uses in the many country songs she does.

Listen, if you can, to her song, "Medals for Mothers". WOW!!

Alan Kendall · Post by **Alan Kendall** » 19 Apr 2010 8:24 am

I'm with you Bruce on "After the fire is gone". When they sing the opening line "Love is where you find it" it sends goose bumps up my spine. She is a phenominal singer as is Daryle Singletary. Mike Johnson is absolutely Spectacular on that whole album. There is still plenty of great country music out there,it's just not mainstream and you have search a little bit, but thats same with all none mainstream music.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 19 Apr 2010 12:15 pm

Rhonda Vincent was born July 13, 1962, in Kirksville, Mo.,just North of me,does a lot of shows in Branson as well.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 19 Apr 2010 2:35 pm

Chuck Hall wrote:She sings country too.....

Yes indeed, but isn't Bluegrass Country ?

Maybe listen to a few Daryl Singletary tracks where he duets with Rhonda and of course MJ on Steel...

Rhonda is a class act, great singer...

t

the original tp

Ted Solesky · Post by **Ted Solesky** » 20 Apr 2010 2:36 pm

She is a very soulful singer, I enjoy Mike's tasty pickin. I would like to hear more of the Daryle doing real country. He does it well.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 20 Apr 2010 3:11 pm

Rhonda made a foray a bunch of years ago into mainstream country but for whatever reason, it "didn't take."

So she went back to her roots in bluegrass and fared much better. I've seen Rhonda & The Rage live a couple times and they put on a fine show.

At the top of my list for female singers are Alison Krauss, Emmylou, Patty Loveless, Sonya Isaacs, Allison Moorer, and Rhonda!

Dave A. Burley · Post by **Dave A. Burley** » 20 Apr 2010 8:12 pm

We have the Classic Country/Blurgrass booth at the CMA's Fan Fair in Nashville in early June. Rhonda signs in the booth sometimes and she always has long lines of fan's wanting an autograph.She never leaves until we might have to close the line because of her schedule.Even then she does't want to lerave. Yes, a class act she is as her fan club president, Julia, and the rest of her family. Dave Burley

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 21 Apr 2010 4:50 am

Here's a couple more shots of RV and the Rage in Va. last year.........JH in Va.

Butch Foster · Post by **Butch Foster** » 21 Apr 2010 7:05 am

Rhonda made 2 fine country CD's for Giant Records. Donna Hammitt played steel for her for awhile. When Donna began working with Bill Anderson, Mike Johnson played steel with her a time or two on Opry appearances. In addition to being a bluegrass superstar, she is also an outstanding country singer, IMO.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 21 Apr 2010 7:21 am

I agree, Butch. I think she is every bit the country singer that she is the bluegrass singer, and there is a very fine line, musically speaking, between the two genres anyway.

It was my understanding that the sales weren't that great when she was pursuing the "country" genre, and that in terms of success, she has done much better in the bluegrass world.

Below is a link to a single Rhonda released several years ago called If Heartaches Had Wings, a great sad song that strikes me as a "hybrid" of bluegrass and country. I saw her perform this live just before it was released and it blew me away:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ifLW89W8xo

Don Barnhardt · Post by **Don Barnhardt** » 21 Apr 2010 10:29 pm

Generally speaking, bluegrass personalities have more personality than modern day country personalities.

Jack Strayhorn · Post by **Jack Strayhorn** » 23 Apr 2010 5:11 am

She had two great country albums prior to her huge success in bluegrass. I was knocked out be her very first video and single, released close to 20 years ago. Weldon played very tasteful steel on the first album.