Red Rhodes - 17 years ago today

Joe Alterio · From: Irvington, Indiana

From a letter dated August 21, 1995 by Groove Tubes president Aspen Pittman:

To: All GT Friends and Relations

Dear Friends,

I am sorry to report that our good friend, Red Rhodes passed away Sunday morning. Red had bad lungs, due to interstitial lung fibrosis resulting from rheumatoid arthritis.

His deteriorating condition finally forced him into retirement from his position as our head of engineering last December. However, since his "retirement" Red had revived his production of the Velvet Hammer guitar pickups which we have been, and will still be distributing for him. James Burton played many recording dates with Red. They were close friends, and Red custom wound all of James' Telecaster pickups throughout the years which recorded many hit tunes for the Everly Bros, Elvis and others. Red's custom wound pickups turned into a thriving business during the '60s and '70s and was based out of Red's amplifier service company called Red's Royal Amp, located in the heart of Hollywood. Red's show was the mecca for many top musicians as well as the up and coming along with pickup fanatics and amp enthusiasts, including myself. That's where I first met and grew to love this gentle man with those warm and generous ways. He was perhaps the most street smart guitar and amp man I ever knew. Red was an inventor extraordinaire and worked on many patents ranging from the dimable flouresent light to the clamped nut guitar (yes, long before the Floyd Rose tremolo. Red's patent on this had actually expired before Floyd even filed his...a little known fact!) Remember, steel players were bending strings long before Eddie Van Halen...and they always had to be in tune.

Orville "Red" Rhodes was born Dec. 30, 1930 in Wood River/East Alton, Illinois, where he grew up. Red had a full and rewarding life that included a brief spell as a club boxer, an engineer with Shell Oil, and finally settling into his best known profession as a musician. Red's mother bought him a second hand Rickenbacker lap steel in 1938 and Red stayed up nights learning to play on his homemade crystal radio/amplifier...it was steel guitar that would propel Red to greatness througout the rest of his life.

Red played the steel guitar for just about everybody. His beautifully understated playing will live on in hundreds of recordings from a wide range of bands including Carole King (Tapestry), The Byrds, James Taylor (Sweet Baby James), Carpenters (Top Of The World), Joan Baez (Diamonds and Rust), the Ventures (the intro to Out of Limits), Nancy Sinatra (Boots), Dolly Parton, The Byrds (Born to Follow), The Commodores (Sail On), Anne Murray (I Just Fell In Love Again and He Thinks I Still Care), Hoyt Axton (Boney Fingers), Freddy Weller (Games People Play), Linda Ronstadt (Silver Threads and Golden Needles), Fraternity of Man (Don't Bogart That Joint), Hank WIlliams, Jr., Stevie Wonder, Barry White, John Denver, The Rolling Stones, Glen Campbell and many more hit recordings I just can't think of right now. Red also put out several solo steel guitar records, one of which was titled "Velvet Hammer in a Cowboy Band" from which his legendary pickups got their name.

Red was "number one call" steel guitar player in Hollywood for a decade or more. During the nights, he was the band leader for the house band at the legendary Palomino Club in North Hollywood from 1960 to 1969. His band, "Red Rhodes and the Detours" backed up literally every major country act there was during this period. Finally, Red was honored 5 times with the CMA as "Outstanding Steel Guitarist" in 1965, 1967, 1968, 1972 and 1973. Red even played on the Oscar-winning soundtrack "The Right Stuff."

Unfortunately, Red developed carpal tunnel syndrome which curtailed his playing for many years. However, during his 9 years stint at Groove Tubes he had both wrists operated on and began playing again. He had recently recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Michael Nesmith (Tropical Campfires) and Nancy Sinatra's comeback album...coincidentally, both of these last albums used another product Red helped create, our Groove Tubes Model One tube condenser microphone. Red had appeared most recently on TV when he taped Austin City Limits with the Michael Nesmith band.

During his 9 years with us here at Groove Tubes, Red was my technical mentor behind almost everything we've made including: the Trio guitar preamp (the 1st to offer 3 classic tube amp designs in a switchable preamp); the Dual 75 amp (the 1st dual channel switching amp able to use all types of major power tubes); the whole range of our studio tube mics, EQ and preamps; and most recently the new Soul-O Series guitar tube amps (the world's first amps that could be switched from Class A/B into two forms of Class A...this was a circuit Red invented while working on the project, and is perhaps his crowning achievement to his life long pursuit of the "perfect guitar amp."

Red had musician's ears, a mechanic's mind, and a heart as big as all outdoors. Everybody who knew him, loved him. There is no way to ever replace this original American who was my friend and the surrogate father to my GT Electronics company...but he certainly left his mark on both myself and the music world as a whole.

He will be dearly missed, but he will never be forgotten. I was fortunate to visit Red as I took him home from the hospital a few days ago. He wore that same smile and offered up that familiar humorous attitude just like always as he tried to cheer me up. His last words to me were "Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine." Yes, Red, you certainly are fine, your pain and discomfort are gone and Heaven's a better place now that you've joined thier band of angels.

Red is survived by his wife Diane, his mother Lucy, his stepfather Jesse, and six of his seven children Alan, Michael, Valerie, Michelle, Jeffrey and Danielle. Red is also survived by eleven grandchildren. His friends and family are planning a memorial at Praisewater this coming Saturday and 12 noon (5849 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91401) . Although, I', quite sure Red would not have wanted anybody to make a bug fuss, that's just the way he was.

Warm Regards for Tubesville,

Aspen Pittman, President

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

Red (along with Leo LeBlanc) was probably the most influential player in my early aspirational days.

Edit: -*-
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"Gopher, Everett?"

Larry Bressington · From: Nebraska

Thanks Joe, that was very well put together!
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A.K.A Chappy.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Red was indeed a very nice guy. I first met him around '70 or '71 under some strange circumstances. I was playing at the Swizzle Stik in Huntington Beach, Ca. with a bass player named Bobby Ray (AKA Robert G. Shamblin)... It seems that Bobby had played with Red at a club called the "Bright Torch". Bobby didn't have a bass so Red loaned him a Fender bass that he had. When Bobby left the gig to come to Huntington Beach he took Red's bass with him.... Sometime during our stint at the "Stik" Red showed up one Sunday night at our jam session in pursuit of his bass.... Bobby had sold it by then of course as he was a nice guy to a point but didn't have too many scruples..... Red was pretty hot at him but maintained his cool and he and Bobby had a long talk while another bassist sat in... Red told Bobby how much money the bass was worth and Bobby made a deal with the owner of the club to give Red the money and take some out of Bobby's pay each week until it was paid back. Red stayed the rest of the night and he and Bobby seemed like friends again and everything was all right. A true classy guy, I'd probably been a lot more irate than Red was but he was a gentleman. I saw him a few times at Scotty's Convention and we'd always talk about that incident.... A truly unique player and person......JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Joe Alterio · From: Irvington, Indiana

Good catch, Ben! Title fixed.

Steven Finley · From: California, USA

Joe, I am glad to read such a fine tribute to Red.

Years ago, back in the early 70's, I was one of the recipients of Red's kindness and mentoring. Although I was only a teenager who lacked professional experience
on the steel guitar, when Red hosted a steel guitar demonstration featuring some of the top players who came in from Nashville, I received a personal telephone call
from Red to come and watch (without charge I might add). I was also invited to watch some of Red's recording sessions (again, without charge).

I spend many, many hours at Red's shop while in between his working on amps, he showed me a variety of steel guitar licks and techniques--all without charge.
He epitomized the mentoring spirit which seems to be lacking in our present day. Aside from being an incredibly innovative and talented steel guitarist,
Red was a gentleman musician.

Alan Harrison · From: Murfreesboro Tennessee, USA

I was most fortunite to have had a job which took me from Camarillo and later Bakersfield to the LA area quite often from 1967 thru 1977. I took advantage of the opportunity to stop by Red's store on most trips to the area. I quickly realized that he was a very special person.

He rewound he PUPs on my MSA Classic and changed the tone from good to great.

I spent a lot of time laughing at the stories he told as he was working on an amp or something else.

He once showed me a small Fender amp that he souped up and liked to surprise other pickers with it when he took it to jobs. It would blow the hat off your head as well as had killer tone. He said it raised a lot of eyebrows.

I have always felt blessed just to have known him.
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Mullen (Black) Pre G-2 9x7, B.L. 705 PUP's, Evans SE 200 Telonics NEO 15-4, BJS Bar, Peterson Strobo Flip, Steelers Choice Seat, Folgers Coffee and Hilton Pedals.

"I Steel Without Remorse"

Ted Smouse · From: Austin, Texas USA

Joe, thanks for posting that letter written by Aspen Pittman. It was a pleasure to read that.

I was a big fan of Red's, and was fortunate enought to hear him play in St. Louis a number of times. When I did a radio interview with Michael Nesmith about a year and a half ago, my favorite part of the interview was when we (Michael) talked about Red. Michael spoke of what a good friend Red was to him, and how important he was to his career.

When Herb Steiner read the induction of Red Rhodes into the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame a few years back, I couldn't be in St. Louis that year, but I was tuned into the broadcast on SteelRadio.com by calling my brother on my cell phone (from the remote Outer Banks of North Carolina), and he held the receiver up the computer speaker. That's how I listened. It meant a lot to me to get to hear that event taking place, even though I could not be there. Herb later told me how much it meant to him to make that induction.

Long live the memory and music of Red Rhodes.

Ted Smouse
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Ted Smouse
General Manager & Program Director
SteelRadio
Austin, Texas
SteelRadio.org@gmail.com
https://www.steelradio.org

-a 501(c)(3) “Not For Profit” Organization

Steven Finley · From: California, USA

Well said Ted, Red was the greatest,and a special
person,I treasure the time I spent with Red.

Neil Rogerson · From: Molalla, Oregon, USA

When I worked with Chuck Wright at Sierra Guitars in Portland Oregon Red came up to look at a guitar we were building for him.......I later went to LA to show the guitar around....Red invited me to stay with him and his family and provided me with a jillion leads.....I loved to hear him messing with the "diatonic" tuning he was experimenting with....He was generous to a fault and had tons of knowledge about pickups and guitars....I enjoyed the time we spent...

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Red and I were friends from the 60's. What a great guy ! One year in the 60's Red was playing with Gene Davis at the Palomino. Red asked if I could fill in for him while he went on a two week vacation.
I had a lot of Vacation coming from my Day Job so I also took two weeks of Vacation and spent my evenings playing for Red at the Palomino. A new singer named Jerry Enman had just won the Talent Contest and got to sing with the Band. I sort of took him under my wing and gave him some advise. We became good friends and Jerry went on to record and have his own Band.
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Sacramento Western Swing Society Hall of Fame, 1992

Don Crowl · From: Medford, Oregon, USA

I didn't know Mr.Rhodes but my deceased friend, Al Gershen, told me he bought his Fender 1000 back in the '60s from Red Rhodes. Al kept & played the 1000 at local venues. Really sounded great. Al's widow, Kathy, recently asked me to look into selling it for her after she returns from a trip. If that develops I will probably be posting it on the Forum in the proper for sale location.

LJ Eiffert · From: California, USA

I did some great recording sessions with " Red ". He also was very funny at time with jokes.I sure do miss the talent of him. Uncle Leo Winking

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Thanks for the post Joe, and everyone who added their personal recollections, very cool.

Don Crowl, when did Al Gershen pass away?

J.
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Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

p.s. Billy Tonnesson, that would have been 1961, Jerry Inman got drafted into the Gene Davis band that year... he replaced Jimmy Snyder who went out on his own, although I recently found out that Donny Young (Johnny Paycheck) got the gig inbetween... but got fired on his first night!
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Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

I couldn't help noticing that Mr. Pittman credited Red with playing on The Byrds' "[Wasn't] Born to Follow." We had a lively controversy here on the Forum a while back about whether or not there was steel on that cut, with several Forumites insisting there was not.

Attempts to get Roger (Jim) McGuinn or Chris Hillman to settle the dispute were unsuccessful, but perhaps Mr. Pittman's input, as one who had close association with Red, may help to settle the question.

Don Crowl · From: Medford, Oregon, USA

I was asked when Al Gershen died. That was 5 Aug. 2011 after a seige of many health issues. I posted a notice soon after his passing on the Forum.

Jason Odd · From: Stawell, Victoria, Australia

Hi Don, thanks for the information, I hadn't seen the post, so I appreciate your message.

Brint, not sure what you read about whether Red played on "Born To Follow", but he wasn't on "Goin' Back" from the same LP, the original session notes didn't indicate who the steel player was, and although Carl West has laid claim to that track, in the past it's been attributed to Red as he appeared on other tracks from that period.

Carl was in the next studio recording Jerry Inman's Columbia LP, the dates back this up, and he's a reliable source (he has, sadly since passed on).
I assume the debate is mostly about whether it was steel guitar on "Born To Follow" or stringbender from Clarence White... be nice if you could link those discussions, I seem to recall it.. but not really.

J.
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Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

Couldn't have been stringbender, as Gene had not built it into Clarence's spare sunburst Tele at the time of the "Sweetheart" sessions. Carence was still playing the white Tele (with Strat neck and re-carved headstock) he got from Buck Owens and that he later traded to Bob Warford for a Nobel acoustic (with Bob promptly creating the second "stringbender" - of his and his dad's design).

Clarence is heard clearly on "Follow" playing the intro but I'm sure there's steel later in the song, especially in the 2 or 3 bars leading into the words "Wasn't born to follow".
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

Hi Jim, long time no see!

Stringbender doesn't actually enter into the question debated. The question seems destined perhaps to go unresolved as the only people involved leave this world one by one, but the issue concerns not the clearly Clarence lead licks that immediately precede the vocal entrance, or any bending licks, but the continuous fingerpicked backup that is already present from the outset of the fade-in. It's an electric instrument on top of acoustic guitar. The question has two parts: 1) Is that flowing arpeggiated fingerpicking played on steel, and 2) if so, who played it?

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