Texas singer-songwriter-playwright. Music to her musical play "Small Town Girl" with special guest stars Willie Nelson, Joe Ely, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Joe Sears. All original songs by a platinum-selling songwriter.

16 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Modern Folk, COUNTRY: Country Folk



Details:
Kimmie Rhodes is a native Texan who grew up in Lubbock, Texas and began her singing career at the age of six with her family gospel trio. She moved to Austin in 1979, where she met DJ and producer Joe Gracey, an instrumental figure in the Austin progressive country scene who she eventually married. In 1981 she recorded her first album, Kimmie Rhodes and the Jackalope Brothers when Willie Nelson invited her to use his studio.
In 1985 she recorded her second album, Man In the Moon. Her third album Angels Get The Blues, recorded at the original Sun Studio in Memphis, was released in 1989. These records led to a series of British and European tours which received rave reviews.
Her promotional tours created a solid fan base in the U.K. and Europe. She has headlined with her band at festivals in Canada, The United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands and has appeared on many European and American TV and radio broadcasts. She has also appeared at many of Willieâs Farm Aid concerts and July 4th Picnics. Willie says Kimmie is âan undiscovered superstarâ and together they recorded two of her originals for his album Just One Love.

Kimmie recently appeared on Austin City Limits with Emmylou Harris, Dave Mathews, Patty Griffin, and Buddy & Judy Miller, where she and Emmylou performed their Grammy-nominee song âOrdinary Heartâ (nominated for Best Female Country Vocal). She has also guested on Late Night With David Letterman, performing âWest Texas Heavenâ at his request. Kimmieâs TV appearances also include a songwriter âguitar pullâ Austin City Limits show with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Billy Joe Shaver as well as two episodes of The Nashville Networkâs âLegend Seriesâ hosted by Willie Nelson and another hosted by Waylon Jennings. Waylon said, âWhen I hear Kimmie sing it makes me know what the phrase âpulling on your heart stringsâ means.â

Kimmieâs songs have been recorded by such stellar acts as Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, Joe Ely, John Farnham, Waylon Jennings and Peter Frampton. Kimmie co-wrote a song, "Lines", with Waylon for his Justice release "Right For The Time". Kimmieâs movie soundtrack credits include âA Heart Thatâs Trueâ for the âBabe: A Pig in the Cityâ CD, âIâm Not An Angelâ featured in the soundtrack of âMrs. Winterbourneâ starring Shirley MacLaine and Ricki Lake and a song in the âDaddyâs Dyinâ Whoâs Got the Willâ soundtrack. Her song, âShine All Your Lightâ, co-written with Beth Nielson Chapman, was recorded by Amy Grant for the Touched By An Angel TV series soundtrack and CD, which reached the Top Ten in Billboardâs CD charts. She recently co-wrote âOrdinary Heartâ with Emmylou Harris and the song was featured in the soundtrack to the movie âHappy Texasâ. Emmylouâs performance of the song was nominated for a Grammy.

Kimmieâs 1996 CD West Texas Heaven features 12 of her original songs and includes duets with Waylon Jennings, Townes Van Zandt and Willie Nelson. USA Today says, "listening to West Texas Heaven is like a sweet unhurried ramble through bluebonnets", picking the album for their "Best Bets" section. In December, USA Today picked the CD as one of the Top Ten Country Records of 1996.

Kimmieâs 1998 CD release is a compilation of original songs from her first three albums called Jackalopes, Moons & Angels. This Jackalope Records CD marks the first time these songs have been available on CD in one collection.

Kimmie 2000 release was Rich From the Journey (Sunbird), produced by her son Gabe Rhodes. Featuring a guest appearance by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and performances by such great musicians as Kevin Savigar, the late Jimmy Day and John Gardner, the CD is a brilliant showcase for Kimmieâs writing and performing abilities. Appearances promoting that record included the Victoria Folk Roots Festival, Calgary Folk Festival, and Edmonton Folk Festival in Canada, followed by the prestigious Tønder Festival in Denmark.

A playwright and actress as well, her debut theatrical project was the writing and 1998 workshop production of her musical, Small Town Girl. Directed by and starring Joe Sears of âGreater Tunaâ, the play was staged in Willie Nelsonâs western town movie set (Luck, Texas). She and Joe Sears then wrote and produced a new musical review called Hillbilly Heaven in Luck and in Cody, Wyoming. She also worked with with Sears as Musical Director for his outdoor drama production of Trail of Tears for the Cherokee Heritage Center during 2001 through 2003.

Another project is the Sunbird Press novella/cookbook, The Amazing Afterlife of Zimmerman Fees, a story by Kimmie with recipes by Joe Gracey and Kimmie.

In 2002, Kimmie released Love Me Like A Song (Sunbird). The CD features duets with Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Beth Neilsen Chapman, and Heartbreaker keyboardist Benmont Tench. Players inlcude Willie, Benmont, Gary Nicholson, Kevin Savigar, Floyd Domino, John Gardner, and producer Gabe Rhodes. An adventurous journey with all new Kimmie-penned songs, Kimmie once again takes us into new musical waters and the world of her fertile imagination. The CD artwork comes from a series of Kimmieâs original oil paintings, prints of which are available on her website. For purchasing information on the originals, contact Austin Galleries.

In 2003 she released a compilation of duets with Willie Nelson titled âPicture In A Frameâ. Itâs their first duet CD, featuring the Tom Waits-penned title track, a brand new Willie song (âIt Always Will Beâ), five original Kimmie tunes, and classics from Rodney Crowell and Willie. The record includes new recordings of past duets as well as âRhinestone Highwayâ, a track from Kimmieâs unreleased theatrical production soundtrack, Small Town Girl. Recorded at Willieâs World Headquarters in Luck, Texas with a small acoustic group, this CD captures Willie and Kimmie at their most intimate and relaxed.

Her 2004 CD release is titled âLost & Foundâ. This is a new set of great songs and recordings, masters that were recorded between 1996 and 2003 and are now being released for the first time, featuring a song co-written with Waylon Jennings and other tracks with a host of talented writing partners, as well as some of Kimmieâs best self-penned tunes.

In 2005 Kimmie released âWindlbownâ. This record also served as the soundtrack for a new performance art piece featuring live music, interpretive dance, and character portrayals by Joe Sears, with its debut performance in January 2005. More information about the play can be obtained here: http://www.windblown.biz

Kimmie recently recorded a duet, âWhy Should I Be Lonelyâ with Irish singer-songwriter star Kieran Goss for his new Rodney Crowell-produced EMI CD âBlue Sky Sunriseâ and toured Ireland with Kieran. Kimmie also co-wrote two songs with Kieran for the CD, "Nothing's Changed Again" and "Sacred Ground". Her shows were received enthusiastically by the Irish audiences and she plans to return in October for more Irish tour dates.

Kimmie lives in Austin and performs with her band which includes husband Joe Gracey on bass, son Gabe Rhodes on lead guitar and Kimmie on acoustic guitar and vocals.

Email: Website:
Mail: Gracey-Rhodes Productions P.O. Box 90183, Austin, TX 78709-0183