Emitt Rhodes
Emitt Lynn Rhodes (February 25, 1950 – July 19, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer. At the age of 14, Rhodes began his career in musical ensembles The Palace Guard as the group's drummer before joining The Merry-Go-Round as a multi-instrumentalist. He has been called the "One-Man Beatles" due to the style and skill of his songwriting and instrumentation.
Emitt Rhodes | |
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Emitt Rhodes, 1973 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Emitt Lynn Rhodes |
| Born | February 25, 1950 Decatur, Illinois, U.S. |
| Origin | Hawthorne, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 19, 2020 (aged 70) Hawthorne, California, U.S. |
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| Instrument(s) | Vocals, drums, guitar, piano, bass guitar, percussion |
| Years active | 1964–2020 |
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As a member of The Merry-Go-Round, Rhodes wrote or co-wrote eleven of the twelve songs on the band's first and only album, released in 1967. Over the next two years, Rhodes wrote and recorded several songs in order to fulfill a contractual obligation the band had with A&M Records. Following the band's dissolution, those songs were released as the album The American Dream (1970), an album credited to Rhodes but released without his input.
Rhodes's debut solo album is generally considered to be his self-titled 1970 release, which he recorded in his home studio. He went on to record and release two more solo albums, Mirror (1971) and Farewell to Paradise (1973). His career ended in 1973 because of a trial with his label.
Silent for 43 years, he was a cult figure of psychedelic pop music when he released his last album, Rainbow Ends, in 2016.