Todd Rhodes
| Todd Rhodes | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Todd Washington Rhodes |
| Born |
August 31, 1899 Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States |
| Died | June 4, 1965 (aged 65) Inkster, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger, bandleader |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1921–c.1960 |
| Associated acts |
McKinney's Cotton Pickers LaVern Baker |
Todd Washington Rhodes (August 31, 1899 or 1900 – June 4, 1965) was an American pianist, bandleader and arranger who was an early influence in jazz and later in R&B.
Rhodes was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and was raised in Springfield, Ohio. He attended the Springfield School of Music and the Erie Conservatory, studying as pianist and songwriter. After graduating in 1921, he began performing with drummer William McKinney in the jazz band McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and played with Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Fats Waller, Rex Stewart, Doc Cheatham, and Don Redman.
He left McKinney's Cotton Pickers in 1934, and lived and played in Detroit from then on. He formed his own small group in 1943, expanding it into the Todd Rhodes Orchestra by 1946. The orchestra made its first recordings for Sensation Records in 1947. Turning more towards rhythm and blues music, the band became known as Todd Rhodes & His Toddlers, and their recordings were distributed by the Vitacoustic label. His instrumental "Blues For The Red Boy" reached number 4 on the R&B chart late in 1948, and the following year "Pot Likker", made number 3 on the R&B chart. "Blues For The Red Boy" was later famously used by Alan Freed as the theme song for his Moondog radio show, Freed referring to the song as "Blues For The Moondog" instead of its actual title.
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