I only heard the name Leon Rhodes about 10 minutes ago, spoken of (in high regard) during an interview with a couple of guitarists. I thought, "I gotta check this guy out" Whew!!! I'm glad I did. Joyful. Inspiring. Invigorating. 😊 Praise the Lord.
Leon and Buddy- the "Jimmy and Speedy" of the 'Sixties! I had the distinct honor of meeting and performing with both of these Cats about 20 years ago... Something I'll never forget. God rest 'em, both.
What a great memory and honor to carry! I'm a bit young but I would hav love to have a sit down with him. I did have a conversation via FB with him before he passed, he was a god loving man. R.I.P.
yeah....what a beast he was. I used to love those HeeHaw show endings with them all sitting around playing....Leon with that white Epiphone Sheraton, sitting classical style and playing those those blistering jazz-swing licks. He was as good as anyone on the show, hands down. Great stuff.
Leon Rhodes was well-known to his peers as a monster of a musician, which makes it even more of a shame that he usually flies beneath the radar when it comes time to list the finest country six-stringers of all time. Leon Rhodes, like Phil Baugh - another neglected talent from the 1960s - could play circles around most of the better-known guitar players most folks would put on a list of the greatest country guitar players.
Interesting that he holds the pick against the palm side of the index finger so the pick is either parallel to the string or slightly up slanted like the Benson style pickers. Gets a very clean note and is more a thumb powered action than wrist.
incredible, and kids today rave on about guitar heroes and Leon could have smoked them all, no effects pedal, no marshall amps, not distortion to cover up mistakes.........lolol
I have been screwing around with a guitar for nearly 40 years, and I still do not understand or can come close to playing like this. I have always heard of people who have a photographic memory: It is almost like Leon Rhodes, and a few others (like Don Rich) could chord a string, remember the sound, know where they were on any fret without looking, and make a guitar sing without even looking at where there fingers were. I wish that I could play like that.
