Jack Rhodes

Induction Year: 1972

Birth Name: Andrew Jackson Rhodes

Birth Date: 01-12-1907

Place of Birth: Gedden, Texas

Death Date: 10-09-1968

Place of Death: Mineola, Texas

Jack Rhodes co-wrote two massive hits of the 1950s that have become standards in country and pop music: "A Satisfied Mind" and "Silver Threads and Golden Needles." Born in Van Zandt County, Texas, Jack Rhodes quit school at a young age to help support his family. During World War II, he worked in the Houston shipyards. He injured his back in a fall there in 1944, and during his recuperation he began concentrating on music.

He was the stepbrother of fellow Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Leon Payne and served as Payne's bandleader from 1947 to 1948. When Rhodes left Payne, it caused a major rift between them. They reportedly never spoke again.

Jack Rhodes often collaborated on songs with Texas fiddler Joe "Red" Hayes. "A Satisfied Mind" is co-credited to Hayes. Another frequent collaborator was Dick Reynolds, with whom he wrote his other biggest success, "Silver Threads and Golden Needles." Rhodes was the salesman of both teams, successfully promoting their songs to recording artists.

Ever the entrepreneur, at various times in his career Jack Rhodes owned the National Sounds record company, the All Roads Music and Red Ball song publishing companies, a dog kennel, a café in Grand Saline, Texas and the Trail 80 Motor Courts, a gas station, restaurant and motel in Mineola, Texas. He also helped launch the career of country star Billie Jo Spears.

Around 1953, Rhodes built a studio behind the kitchen at the motel. He had led his own bands in the 1940s, but from the 1950s onward he made recordings of his songs and served as a mentor to young Texas writers and singers. He was particularly active in the emerging rockabilly musical movement.

One of his earliest successes was "Gypsy Heart," which he placed with Jim Reeves in 1953 as the B-side of the hit "Bimbo." Rhodes was 46 years old at the time, a late bloomer as a songwriter.

He was next signed to Central Songs. The publishing company's Cliffie Stone had an inside track to artists signed to Capitol Records, so Rhodes' songs found their way to the label's Jean Shepard, Ferlin Husky, Wanda Jackson, Sonny James, Rose Maddox and rockabilly star Gene Vincent.

Rhodes died of a heart attack in 1968. He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2009. The Mineola Historical Museum in Texas displays his career memorabilia.

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Song Catalog

 

"'Til the Last Leaf Shall Fall From the Tree"

(written with Sonny James)

Sonny James1957 
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver1998 

"A Satisfied Mind"

(written with Red Hayes)

Red Hayes1954 
Porter Wagoner1955 #1 country
Red Foley & Betty Foley1955 #3 country
Jean Shepard1955 #4 country
Frank Ifield1956 
Warner Mack1961 
The Wilburn Brothers1961 
Joan Baez1965 
The Byrds1966 
Bobby Hebb1966 #39 pop, #40 R&B
Roy Acuff1967 
Bill Anderson1967 
The International Submarine Band1968 
Loretta Lynn1968 
Tim Hardin1971 
Roy Drusky1973 #25 country
Bob Luman1976 #41 country
Lucinda Williams1979 
Bob Dylan1980 
Lindsey Buckingham1981 
Con Hunley1983 #84 country
Jonathan Richman1990 
Jeff Buckley1998 
Marty Stuart2003 
Robert Gordon2004 
Daniel O'Donnell2009 
 

"Action Packed"

Ronnie Dawson1958 
Johnny Dollar1959 
Jonathan Richman1989 

"B-I-Bickey-Bi, Bo-Bo-Go"

(written with Don Carter, Dub Nalls)

Gene Vincent1957 
Jeff Beck1993 

"Beautiful Lies"

Jean Shepard1955 #4 country
Jim Ed Brown1969 
Kenny Rogers & Dottie West1979 
 

"Black Sheep"

(written with Ferlin Husky)

Ferlin Husky1959 #21 country
 

"By the Sweat of My Brow"

The Maddox Brothers & Rose1957 
Bill Carter1956 
Hank Locklin1957 
Hazel Dickens1983 
Marcia Ball1987 

"Conscience, I'm Guilty"

Hank Snow1956 #4 country
Rose Maddox1961 #14 country
Roy Acuff1969 
 

"Crazy Beat"

(written with Johnny Fallin)

Gene Vincent1961 
 

"Empty Arms"

Leon Payne1948 
 

"Gypsy Heart"

(written with Dick Reynolds, Lucille Dean)

Jim Reeves1953 
Frank Ifield1955 
 

"Hangin' on to What I Got"

(written with Buck Owens, Billie Jo Spears)

Billie Jo Spears1965 
Buck Owens1966 
 

"Lipstick Trail"

Leon Payne1948 
 

"Red Blue Jeans and a Pony Tail"

(written with Wild Bill Davis)

Gene Vincent1957 
Jeff Beck1993 
 

"Rockin' Bones"

(written with Don Carter, Dub Nalls)

Ronnie Dawson1959 
Johnny Dollar1959 
The Cramps1981 
Boxcar Willie1996 

"Silver Threads and Golden Needles"

(written with Dick Reynolds)

Wanda Jackson1956 
Rose Maddox1961 
Hawkshaw Hawkins1962 
The Springfields1962 #16 country, #20 pop
The Everly Brothers1963 
Skeeter Davis1963 
Norma Jean1963 
Ferlin Husky1963 
Roy Clark1963 
Johnny Rivers1965 
Jody Miller1965 #54 pop
The Smothers Brothers1966 
Linda Ronstadt1969 
The Cowsills1969 #74 pop
Linda Ronstadt (remake)1974 #20 country, #67 pop
Jean Shepard1974 
Charlie McCoy1974 #68 country
Janis Joplin1975 
Sandy Denny1977 
Billie Jo Spears1981 
Lynn Anderson1982 
Dolly, Loretta & Tammy1993 #68 country
The Grateful Dead2005 
 

"The Waltz of the Angels"

(written with Dick Reynolds)

Wynn Stewart1956 #14 country
Lefty Frizzell1956 
Jean Shepard1960 
George Jones & Margie Singleton1962 #11 country
David Houston1978 #51 country
The Country Gentlemen1992 
Peter Case1993 
 

"Too Old for Toys Too Young for Boys"

(written with Lucille Dean)

Billie Jo Spears1953 
 

"Too Used to Being with You"

(written with Don Carter)

Skeeter Davis & Bobby Bare1964 
Merle Haggard & Bonnie Owens1966 
 

"Woman Love"

Jimmy Johnson1956 
Gene Vincent1956 
Jeff Beck1993 

Other Media

Jack Rhodes

Induction Year: 1972