Happy Rhodes
Happy Rhodes, cover of her album Rhodesongs
Background information
Birth name	Kimberley Tyler Rhodes
Born	August 9, 1965 Poughkeepsie New York, US
Origin	Albany New York, US
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Art Rock Acoustic Pop Rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, Vocalist
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Years active	1984–present
Associated acts	Project Lo, Bartlett/Rhodes
Website	http://www.auntiesocialmusic.com/

Happy Rhodes (born August 9, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and electronic musician. Born Kimberley Tyler Rhodes but called "Happy" since infancy, she legally changed her name to Happy Tyler Rhodes at age 16. Rhodes is a distant relative of Cecil Rhodes and her first name "Kimberley" is after the Kimberley diamond mines. Her middle name "Tyler" is after the American actress Mary Tyler Moore, a friend of Rhodes' mother while both lived in New York City. Rhodes' maternal grandfather Dave Stamper wrote songs for Ziegfeld Follies of 1913 through 1931, as well as composing the music for several other Broadway shows. A family legend claims that Stamper wrote the well-known song "Shine On, Harvest Moon" in 1903 for Nora Bayes when he was working as her Vaudeville piano accompanist, but sold the rights and credit to Bayes and her husband Jack Norworth. Happy Rhodes File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie, New York (City) Poughkeepsie, New York (Town) Poughkeepsie, Arkansas This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... NY redirects here. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... The name Albany is an ancient and literary name for Scotland, north of the Firth of Forth (east) and Firth of Clyde (west). ... NY redirects here. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music[1] or simply alternative) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... It has been suggested that Experimental Rock be merged into this article or section. ... Acoustic music can refer to music that solely or primarily uses acoustic instruments, such as the acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano, cello, and voice. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Ercole de Roberti: Concert, c. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Electronic music is a term for music created using electronic devices. ... Cecil Rhodes. ... The Argyle diamond mine (, ) is a diamond mine located in the north-east of Western Australia. ... Mary Tyler Moore, American actress and comedian, perhaps best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30ish single woman who worked as a news producer at WJM-TV in Minneapolis, and for her role as Laura Petrie, wife of television comedy writer... The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. ... Shine On, Harvest Moon is the name of a popular early-1900s song written by Jack Norworth and his wife Nora Bayes. ... Nora Bayes Nora Bayes (1880 - 19 June 1928) was a popular United States entertainer of the early 20th century. ... Jack Norworth (5 January 1879 - 1 September 1959) was a U.S. songwriter, singer, and vaudeville performer. ...

Rhodes received her first musical instrument, an acoustic guitar, as a gift from her mother, at age 11. At 14 she was performing original songs in school shows. She left school early at age 16, choosing to obtain a GED. From age 16 to 18, Rhodes began performing in "Open Mic Nights" at Caffè Lena in Saratoga, NY. During this period, Rhodes met Pat Tessitore, the owner of a recording studio, Cathedral Sound Studios in Rensselaer, NY, and became a studio intern to learn recording techniques. Tessitore was impressed with Rhodes' voice and songwriting, and volunteered to record all of the songs she had written, with Rhodes engineering. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The GED, General Educational Development, or General Equivalence Degree Test, is a test that certifies the taker has attained American or Canadian high school-level academic skills. ... Saratoga is a town located in Saratoga County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 5,141. ... Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, located on the Hudson River, directly opposite Albany. ...

Rhodes met Kevin Bartlett, a musician who had his own record label, Aural Gratification, and he urged her to gather up all the songs that she had recorded, to be released on cassette. She had enough songs to release three cassettes at the same time in 1986, Rhodes Vol. 1, Rhodes Vol. 2, and Rearmament. In 1987, she released the cassette of Ecto. Her first CD release was Warpaint, in 1991. The first four albums were only available on hand-dubbed cassettes until they were re-released on CD in 1992. For the CD releases, Rhodes Vol. 1 was re-named Rhodes I, and Rhodes Vol. 2 was re-named Rhodes II. Each of the CD re-releases contained bonus tracks not on the original cassettes. Aural Gratification released nine Happy Rhodes albums between 1986 and 1995, including Equipoise and RhodeSongs in 1993, Building The Colossus in 1994 and The Keep in 1995. Rhodes left Aural Gratification in search of a larger label in 1998.

Rhodes' 10th album, "Many Worlds Are Born Tonight," was released in August 1998 by Samson Music, a label founded by Norm Waitt Jr., brother of Ted Waitt, co-founder of the Gateway Computer company. Rhodes was dropped from Samson when the label decided to concentrate on other genres of music and Samson transferred rights to the material back to Rhodes, as well as unsold product. Ted Waitt Theodore Ted Waitt (born January 18, 1963 in Sioux City, Iowa) was a co-founder of Gateway, Inc. ... Gateway, Inc. ...

In 2001 Rhodes recorded an 11th album, called Find Me, which is unreleased.

Rhodes married musician Bob Muller in 2006 and they currently live on a farm in central upstate New York. NY redirects here. ...

Audience

In 1991, Rhodes developed a following in Philadelphia, PA through airplay on WXPN-FM. Her song "Feed The Fire" (from her album "Warpaint") became the station's most requested song of 1991. But the majority of the attention Rhodes has received has been via less traditional routes: Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Cradle of Liberty, the City That Loves You Back, the Quaker City, The Birthplace of America Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor...

• In 1987 Aural Gratification released a sampler tape of Rhodes' music from the album Ecto. In late summer 1988 one of these cassettes was obtained by a programmer for an all-female-artists radio show called Suspended In Gaffa (named after a Kate Bush song) on KKFI-FM in Kansas City, MO. The programmer's discussion of Rhodes' music during 1989-1991 on the Kate Bush Usenet newsgroup rec.music.gaffa led to the formation of the "Ecto" mailing list in June 1991, named after Rhodes' 4th album. The term "Ecto" has grown to encompass a number of musicians who do not fit comfortably in other musical genres, such as Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel and Jane Siberry.

• In 2000, an unknown person mislabeled one of Rhodes' non-album tracks, "When The Rain Came Down" (a bonus track on the CD re-release of Ecto), as being a duet between Kate Bush and Annie Lennox (who have never worked together), and shared it on the original Napster file-sharing network.

Catherine Kate Bush (born 30 July 1958, Bexleyheath, Kent, now part of Greater London), is an English singer-songwriter with an expressive three-octave vocal range. ... Ann Griselda Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is an Oscar, Brit, Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning Scottish pop musician and vocalist. ... Second version (revised 2001) of Napster logo: Cat wearing headphones. ...

Influences

Rhodes has cited Wendy Carlos, Kate Bush, Queen, Yes, David Bowie, Bach and Peter Gabriel as primary influences. Her father, Vernon H. Rhodes Jr., owned a large record collection which included Bagpipe music and Switched-On Bach, by the then- Walter Carlos. By age nine, Rhodes could sing along with every note from that album. As a teenager she discovered Queen and was impressed by their harmonies, which she later emulated on her first few albums. When Rhodes was introduced to Kate Bush's music by an English pen pal, she was impressed by her original writing style, vocal abilities and independence as a female artist. Wendy Carlos (born Walter Carlos, November 14, 1939 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island) is an American composer and electronic musician. ... Catherine Kate Bush (born 30 July 1958, Bexleyheath, Kent, now part of Greater London), is an English singer-songwriter with an expressive three-octave vocal range. ... Queen are an English rock band, formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Roger Taylor, and the late Freddie Mercury from the remains of Smile, with John Deacon completing the lineup the following year. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... David Bowie (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English Grammy Winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor, producer, arranger and audio engineer whose work spans five decades. ... Johann Sebastian Bach (pronounced ) (21 March 1685 O.S. – 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity. ... Peter Brian Gabriel (born February 13, 1950, in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English musician. ... A piper playing the Great Highland Bagpipe. ... Switched-On Bach is a musical album by Wendy Carlos (then Walter Carlos) on CBS Records, released in 1968. ... Wendy Carlos (born Walter Carlos, November 14, 1939 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island) is an American composer and electronic musician. ... Queen are an English rock band, formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Roger Taylor, and the late Freddie Mercury from the remains of Smile, with John Deacon completing the lineup the following year. ... Catherine Kate Bush (born 30 July 1958, Bexleyheath, Kent, now part of Greater London), is an English singer-songwriter with an expressive three-octave vocal range. ...

Vocal Range

Her vocal range reaches highs in which she sounds very much like Kate Bush did in many of her early works, and lows in which she has been mistaken for Annie Lennox. Her songs "When the Rain Came Down"[1] on the album "Ecto", and "Winter"[2] on "Many Worlds Are Born Tonight" exhibit this range. Catherine Kate Bush (born 30 July 1958, Bexleyheath, Kent, now part of Greater London), is an English singer-songwriter with an expressive three-octave vocal range. ... Ann Griselda Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is an Oscar, Brit, Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning Scottish pop musician and vocalist. ...

Her highest recorded note is D6, two octaves above middle C in a live performance of the Queen song "Lily of the Valley"[3]. Her lowest recorded note is A3, one octave below middle C, in her song "Charlie"[4] on her album "Find Me", giving her a range of three and one-half octaves. Queen are an English rock band, formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Roger Taylor, and the late Freddie Mercury from the remains of Smile, with John Deacon completing the lineup the following year. ...

Rhodes is a natural alto, but she trained her voice to hit the soprano range by singing along to Kate Bush's album The Kick Inside. Catherine Kate Bush (born 30 July 1958, Bexleyheath, Kent, now part of Greater London), is an English singer-songwriter with an expressive three-octave vocal range. ... The Kick Inside is Kate Bushs first album, released on February 17, 1978. ...

Live Performances

Rhodes has never undertaken a major tour of the United States, and has never played live anywhere outside of the United States. Most of her live shows have been in the northeast of America, primarily Philadelphia and New York City. Rhodes has sold out every show she's performed in Philadelphia. She has performed several times at the Tin Angel, and also at the Middle East Club, the Painted Bride Arts Center, the Mann Theater (opening for 10,000 Maniacs) and the University Museum Auditorium. In New York City Rhodes has played the Bottom Line and the Flamingo Club. She has also performed at the Knitting Factory in New York City as a guest of the band Project Lo.

As a solo artist Rhodes has performed in Philadelphia, PA, New York, NY, Troy, NY, Albany, NY, Saratoga, NY, Woodstock, NY, Bearsville, NY, New Haven, CT, Danbury, CT, Maple Shade, NJ, Denville, NJ, Bryn Mawr, PA, Mechanicsburg, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Cleveland, OH, Toledo, OH, Kenosha, WI and Chicago, IL.

In 1999 Meredith Tarr of New Haven, CT and Chuck Stipak of Danbury, CT organized a one-day music festival in Danbury, CT to honor Rhodes and the mailing list Ecto, with all proceeds going to charity. The lineup for "Ectofest 1999," held on September 4, 1999, consisted of Rhodes, Rachael Sage, Sloan Wainwright, Susan McKeown and the Mila Drumke Band. Tarr and Stipak repeated the festival the next year and on September 2, 2000 "Ectofest 2000" featured Rhodes, Jessica Weiser, Anne Heaton, Amy Fairchild, Sloan Wainwright, Merrie Amsterburg and Susan McKeown. Rachael Sage is an American songwriter. ... Sloan Wainwright is a artist and member of the American independent music scene. ... Susan McKeown is an Irish-American folk singer. ... Anne Heaton is an American jazz-influenced folk singer/songwriter and pianist from New York City. ... Sloan Wainwright is a artist and member of the American independent music scene. ... Merrie Amsterburg is a singer-songwriter from Boston. ... Susan McKeown is an Irish-American folk singer. ...

In 2001, West Coast fans organized "Ectofest West" in Santa Cruz, California, held on June 9, 2001 at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center. Rhodes flew to California to perform but on the day of the concert she accidentally cut a finger on her fret hand while using a Leatherman, and severed the deep flexor tendon, as well as suffering nerve damage. She was taken to the hospital where the hand was treated and bandaged. Rhodes performed 12 songs that evening sans guitar, relying on bandmates Eric Nicholas, Carl Adami and Bob Muller for backing music. Rhodes had surgery on the finger when she returned from California and underwent physical therapy so she could play the guitar again. Ectofest West is the only time Rhodes has performed in front of an audience west of Chicago. Other performers at the show were Cyoakha Grace, Two Loons for Tea, Jill Tracy and Veda Hille. Rhodes was scheduled to play Ectofest 2001 on August 25, 2001 in Danbury, CT but had to bow out because of her injury. Performers at that show were Edie Carey, Mila Drumke , Trina Hamlin, Jargon Society, Rachael Sage and Molly Zenobia. 2001's show was the last Ectofest. Leatherman multi-tool A Leatherman Wave with all tools unfolded Leatherman and belt holster Leatherman is a trademark for a line of multi-function hand tools produced by the Leatherman Tool Group. ... Jill Tracy is a singer, pianist, composer, and performance artist based in San Francisco. ... Veda Hille (born August 11, 1968 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. ... Trina Hamlin is an American folk-rock singer/songwriter from Minneapolis. ... Rachael Sage is an American songwriter. ... Molly Zenobia is an American gothic singer/songwriter/pianist living in California. ...

Rhodes didn't perform again until April 2003, when she performed at a house concert with percussionist Bob Muller. Rhodes has also performed at house concerts in Maple Shade, NJ, Toledo, OH and Kenosha, WI.

Rhodes' most recent solo performance was at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia on January 29, 2005.

Rhodes has toured three times as guest keyboardist and vocalist for the Bon Lozaga band Project Lo, in 1997, 1999 and 2000.

Through the years, Rhodes has performed live with backing musicians Bob Muller, Kevin Bartlett, Bon Lozaga, Carl Adami, Hansford Rowe, Kelly Bird, Martha Waterman, Eric Nicholas, Mark Foster, Ray Jung, Matthew Guarnere, Dave Sepowski, Peter Sheehan, Dean Sharp, Jamie Edwards and Paul Huesman.

Discography

• Rhodes Volume I (1986, compilation of songs 1984–1986)
• Rhodes Volume II (1986, compilation of songs 1984–1986)
• Rearmament (1986, compilation of songs 1984–1986)
• Ecto (1987, compilation of songs 1984–1987)
• Warpaint (1991)
• Equipoise (1993)
• RhodeSongs (1993, acoustic collection)
• Building the Colossus (1994)
• The Keep (1995, compilation of acoustic versions and rarities 1984–1995)
• Many Worlds Are Born Tonight (1998)
• Find Me (2005) (unreleased)

See also: 1985 in music, other events of 1986, 1987 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // January 23 - The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis... See also: 1986 in music, other events of 1987, 1988 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // January 3 - Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... See also: 1990 in music, other events of 1991, 1992 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 other events of 1993 list of years in music 1990s in music // January 8 - The U.S. Postal service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. ... See also: 1993 in music, other events of 1994, 1995 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music. // Events January 29 - The Supremes Mary Wilson is injured when her jeep hits a freeway median and flips over just outside of Los Angeles, California. ... See also: 1994 in music, other events of 1995, 1996 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // January 18 - Jerry Garcia wrecks his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California. ... See also: 1998 in music (UK) other events of 1998 Musical groups established in 1998 Record labels established in 1998 list of years in music 1990s in music // February 15 - Sir Edward Elgars unfinished third symphony, completed by Anthony Payne is performed for the first time at the Royal... See also: 2005 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2005 Record labels established in 2005 other events of 2005 list of years in music 2000s in music January 1 - In most of Europe, copyright expired on a number of classic pop and rock and roll songs recorded in 1954...

External links

• Auntie Social Music - Official Happy Rhodes web site
• Happy's MySpace page (fan-maintained)
• Vickie's Place for Happy Rhodes Song Samples and Rarities - authorized by Happy Rhodes
• Ecto Home Page - Site for Happy's lyrics
• Rhodeshows - A fan site listing Happy's live shows
• List of live concert clips on YouTube
• List of Subtitled/Closed Captioned concert clips on Google Video
• Ectophiles' Guide to Happy Rhodes
• Terra Incognita - a fan site
• Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music