Remembering Red Rhodes

Lafe Brown · Post by **Lafe Brown** » 20 Aug 2020 4:33 am

Twenty-five years ago today my cousin Red passed away. Lots of fond memories. R.I.P Orville Junior.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 20 Aug 2020 10:02 am

He was a Great Steel Guitarist and an Innovator! I was at the Steel Convention in St.Louis when they inducted him into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame! I loved his music!

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 20 Aug 2020 11:17 am

His shop in Hollywood was a short b;ock from where my wife worked. At the time she didn't drive, so I would take her to work, and often stopped by his shop and hung out with him.

Lafe Brown · Post by **Lafe Brown** » 20 Aug 2020 1:39 pm

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 21 Aug 2020 4:04 pm

Godspeed Orville!

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 22 Aug 2020 11:40 am

Nice band shot Lafe, that looks like Gene Davis on the right with the bowtie. He and Red worked the Palomino many years as you well know........RIP Red..JH in Va.

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 4 Sep 2020 8:25 am

Great picture with the Star Routers - thanks for sharing that!

Nils Tuxen · Post by **Nils Tuxen** » 4 Sep 2020 1:11 pm

I met Red during a long stay I had in Los Angeles in the spring of 1970. It was my second trip from my native Denmark to the USA, and my interest for the steel guitar was relatively new having been awakened by the ByrdsÂ´ "Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" LP which had made me fall in love with the sound of the instrument.

Later Red visited me in Copenhagen when he had a few days off between gigs in London and Stockholm, Sweden, with his old friend, Mike Neshmith and The First National Band.

And later he recomended me to Jim Gurley, the head of the Dekley Company, so I became one of the early players of this steel guitar brand.

I loved to visit him in "RedÂ´s Royal Repair" shop in Hollywood when I was in town during the following years and one time I allso bought a couple of guitars from his shop.

He was a man with a wonderful humour and he always was ready to help if a need arose.

R.I.P. good old friend and thank you for some very special moments in my life.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 5 Sep 2020 6:05 am

Red did some sessions during this time. Amonst them with Mick Ronson (Bowie guitarist) and Bert Jansch.
And with the loveley Chilly Willy And The Red Hot Peppers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHeqnO3T9JU

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 5 Sep 2020 6:16 am

I have just come across some of my recordings of Red from the ISGC. I will be posting these to YouTube soon.

www.youtube.com/steelpicker

Subscribe so that you will be notified.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 8 Sep 2020 11:32 am

Red's Royal Amp and Repair... "where you get it, Royally."

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 8 Sep 2020 12:27 pm

I never knew Red, although I met and talked briefly with him at the ISGC one year when he was with MCI Intertek. I know he was involved with the Groove Tubes company and other entrerprises as well.

I have his Alshire record that I still listen to quite a lot. One of the few covers of Charlton's Almost to Tulsa I've ever heard. I like his instrumental stuff and also his work on the other recording dates that he did.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 8 Sep 2020 4:14 pm

Exactly, Herb. I got it royally there a few times.
Spent alot of time there in the '70's. Messed around on his Fenders a bit... could never make heads or tails out of his tunings.
I remember that kooky pickup he made...even numbered strings came out of a left amp, and odd numbered strings came out of a right amp. Pretty wild.
Always enjoyed the time I spent there...he was a unique guy.
I miss him.

Lafe Brown · Post by **Lafe Brown** » 8 Sep 2020 8:29 pm

When Gene Davis left the Palomino, Red took over as bandleader. In 1965, Red was the first person to win ACM's Steel Player of the Year. He was also nominated in '65 for ACM Bandleader/Band of the Year (Red Rhodes and the Detours); however, the award went to Buck Owens and his Buckaroos. That same year the Award for Outstanding Country Music Club went to the Palomino - North Hollywood. Altogether, Red was nominated for twelve ACMs and won four, all within the first ten years. The top ACM Steel Guitar winners were/are J.D. Maness (eighteen), Paul Franklin (fifteen), and Buddy Emmons (nine). What talent!

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 9 Sep 2020 9:40 am

Lafe Brown wrote:When Gene Davis left the Palomino, Red took over as bandleader. In 1965, Red was the first person to win ACM's Steel Player of the Year. He was also nominated in '65 for ACM Bandleader/Band of the Year (Red Rhodes and the Detours); however, the award went to Buck Owens and his Buckaroos. That same year the Award for Outstanding Country Music Club went to the Palomino - North Hollywood. Altogether, Red was nominated for twelve ACMs and won four, all within the first ten years. The top ACM Steel Guitar winners were/are J.D. Maness (eighteen), Paul Franklin (fifteen), and Buddy Emmons (nine). What talent!

Imagine, if you will, a CMA ceremony where an award is presented to the â€œmost outstanding music clubâ€! It must have gone the way of â€œInstrumental Group Of The Yearâ€.

I only know of Mr. Rhodes as a member of the Wrecking Crew, so your post led me to do a wiki on him, and holy crap....The guy was a boxer, an oil company engineer, and a professional musician. How many people can put that on their career stats? Was he an astronaut too? Knowing him personally must have been very interesting.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 9 Sep 2020 11:26 am

I only know of Mr. Rhodes as a member of the Wrecking Crew...

Yes he worked with Joe Osborn and Hal Blaine etc. on The Mamas and Papas'solo outputs. He plays on a Cass Elliot and on a John Phillips record

Bas Kapitein · Post by **Bas Kapitein** » 9 Sep 2020 2:08 pm

Everyone recognizes this intro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N0IjBgyFoE

Herb Steiner told me this is Red too!

Lafe Brown · Post by **Lafe Brown** » 12 Sep 2020 10:11 am

Fred, Red was also an early Member of the ACM Board of Directors. At the time, they were called the Academy of Country and Western Music. Red wasn't an astronaut, but he did play pedal steel in the movie, "The Right Stuff". Bill Conti won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Red is listed in the musician credits.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 12 Sep 2020 8:46 pm

Red wasn't an astronaut, but he did play pedal steel in the movie, "The Right Stuff". Bill Conti won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Red is listed in the musician credits.

That just kills me. Amazing....

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 13 Sep 2020 6:48 am

Lafe Brown wrote:Fred, Red was also an early Member of the ACM Board of Directors. At the time, they were called the Academy of Country and Western Music. Red wasn't an astronaut, but he did play pedal steel in the movie, "The Right Stuff". Bill Conti won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Red is listed in the musician credits.

First time I went to Red's house,he greeted me at the door:"You wanna see my Oscar?"

SH

Lafe Brown · Post by **Lafe Brown** » 13 Sep 2020 12:46 pm

Red lived two and a half miles from the Palomino on Lankershim. A number of folks crashed on his floor after the Pal closed for the evening, I imagine that would include a few members of this forum.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Remembering Red Rhodes

Remembering Red Rhodes

Star Routers

Red a wonderful friend

...Oscar...