Bass guitarist Michael Rhodes was born in 1953 in Monroe, Louisiana, where country, Cajun, and blues music were a part of everyday life. Before his 13th birthday, he had taught himself to play the guitar with amazing skill for one so young. A couple of years later, he landed his first professional gig. In the early '70s, Rhodes moved to Austin, Texas. He performed with a few other bands, gaining experience and making connections. After about four years, he picked up and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to work with Charlie Rich's son Alan Rich. Some time spent in Nashville earned Rhodes a job as a demo musician and then as a session player. Over the ensuing decades, Michael Rhodes lent his bass talents to the recordings of numerous artists, including many chart-toppers from the '90s, like Neal McCoy, Chely Wright, Doug Stone, Wynonna Judd, the Dixie Chicks, Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Faith Hill, and many other country greats. He was also a member of the Notorious Cherry Bombs, a Nashville supergroup led by Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill. Michael Rhodes died in Nashville on March 4, 2023, of pancreatic cancer. He was 69 years of age. ~ Charlotte Dillon, Rovi