Kimmie Rhodes

Texan Singer/Songwriter Kimmie Rhodes becomes the latest ambassador of the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation

Kimmie is a Texan by birth who moved with her family to Buddy’s home town of Lubbock at the age of five. Her father taught her to sing songs, such as Row, Row, Row Your Boat and The Wondrous Cross, but she and her first husband would eventually move away to run a farm. Circumstances changed, the farm didn’t work out and she moved to Austin, where she first began recording in earnest in 1979, forming a band, writing songs, recording and signing a publishing deal.

She tours extensively, has written three musicals, appears on TV and headlines concerts and has worked in films on both sides of the camera. Her songs have appeared on several movie soundtracks and she has co-written with such eminent songwriters as Waylon Jennings, Beth Nielson Chapman and Emmylou Harris, her song with Emmylou, Ordinary Heart, featuring in the film Happy Texas and being nominated for a Grammy. Artists who have recorded her songs, apart from those mentioned elsewhere, include, John Farnham, Peter Frampton, Mark Knopfler, Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood.

Kimmie has recorded sixteen solo albums her 1981 debut album named after her band, Kimmie Rhodes and the Jackalope Brothers being recorded in Texas at the studio of the musician she credits as her mentor, Willie Nelson. Man in the Moon was released four years later, with her third album Angels Get the Blues appearing in 1989, the album featuring a duet with Joe Ely and session guira and vocals from Sun recording engineer, Jack ‘Cowboy’ Clement.’ On the 1996 album West Texas Heaven she duetted with Waylon Jennings, Townes Van Zandt and Willie Nelson. Then came Rich from the Journey in 2000 and Love Me Like a Song in 2002, featuring Kimmie duetting with Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Beth Nielson Chapman. The 2003 album Picture in a Frame is a compilation of duets with Willie Nelson and there are many more fine albums including the 2015 album Cowgirl Boudoir, working with her son Gabriel Rhodes. In 2018 Kimmie was asked by Maria Elena Holly to deliver an acceptance speech for the Buddy Holly induction to the Texas Heritage Association Awards.

Kimmie tours with her song Gabriel, runs her own publishing company and continues to write songs, books and plays.

Kimmie received the “Lonesome Tears” guitar in Lubbock, Texas on what would have been Buddy Holly’s 81st birthday – Sept 7th 2017