Darryl Rhoades (born June 7, 1950) is an American musician, comedian and writer. He founded the Atlanta-based musical comedy group the Hahavishnu Orchestra in the 1970s and later pursued a career in stand-up comedy.
Early life and education Rhoades was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1950. His family later moved to Forest Park, Georgia, south of Atlanta, where he attended Forest Park High School. As a teenager, he became interested in music after seeing live bands in Atlanta and began playing drums.
Career
Early music career By his senior year in 1968, Rhoades was performing in Atlanta as the drummer for the Celestial Voluptuous Banana, which played venues including the Catacombs and Piedmont Park. After that band broke up, he formed the Hahavishnu Orchestra in 1975, a roughly 12-member musical comedy group whose stage shows combined music, satire, costumes and elaborate props. The group toured nationally during the 1970s and performed at Atlanta venues including the Great Southeast Music Hall. Its name was a parody of guitarist John McLaughlin's jazz-fusion group The Mahavishnu Orchestra. In 1977, Rolling Stone critic Kurt Loder described Rhoades as "one of the most savagely gifted writer/performers in the country today".
The Hahavishnu Orchestra appeared on James Brown's television program Future Shock during the late 1970s. In January 1978, Rhoades joined the opening act at the Sex Pistols' American debut in Atlanta, performing a parody of punk rock during the show. In 1979, The Outlaws recorded Rhoades's song "The Lights Are On (But Nobody's Home)" for their album In the Eye of the Storm. Rhoades's debut album, Burgers from Heaven, was released in 1980 on No Big Deal Records, and he performed the title song on Bill Tush's television comedy series Tush that year.
Music and comedy career In 1985, Rhoades formed the Men from Glad; his second album, Better Dead Than Mellow, was released with the group in 1986. The title track from Burgers from Heaven was later used in the 1989 comedy film Fast Food. Rhoades also collaborated with Reverend Billy C. Wirtz on a joint venture titled Midnight in the Garden of Evel Knievel. In 1991, Rhoades released Before and After His Time, a compilation of his first three albums. The following year, he released his fifth album, Cowpokin' & Udder Love Songs, on May 18, 1992.
In 1994, Rhoades released The Lean Years 1950–1994, a 22-track album that included several of his "U Suck" comedy spots. In 1997, he released Radio Daze...The Shroud of Tourin', a 45-track album on No Big Deal Records built around songs and radio-style comedy sketches. Rhoades's recordings received airplay on syndicated comedy-radio programs including The Dr. Demento Hour. He also occasionally performed as drummer with the Electrifyin' Sissies, a group that included producer Brendan O'Brien, Georgia Satellites guitarist Rick Richards and radio personality Rex Patton.
In 2000, Rhoades released Rhoades...All Over the Map, a 17-track album that included live material recorded for radio and the Punchline comedy club in Atlanta. In 2008, he released Weapons of Mass Deception, a 15-track album on No Big Deal Records. On September 12, 2009, a Hahavishnu Orchestra Celebration was held at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta. Rhoades also appeared in the 2009 film Crazy Heart in a non-speaking role as a drummer.
Later career
In 2014, Rhoades released Darryl Rhoades Presents Songs for Teenagers in Heat, an 18-track album combining studio recordings with live musical and comedy performances. In 2017, he released The Last Goodbye, a 17-track album recorded at Down in Deep Studios and co-produced with Martin Kearns. Creative Loafing described the album as drawing on rock, R&B, country and bluegrass, with several songs featuring guest vocalists.
In April 2024, Rhoades published the memoir The Road to Almost...The Lean Years 1950-2024, which recounts his childhood in Kentucky, his involvement in Atlanta's music scene and his subsequent music and comedy career. As of 2024, he continued to perform comedy while focusing increasingly on songwriting, including performances with guitarist Tommy Strain.
Discography YearTitleNotesRef1980Burgers from HeavenDebut album1986Better Dead Than MellowWith the Mighty Mighty Men from Glad1991No Glove / No LoveWith the Mighty Mighty Men from Glad; recorded in 19881991Before & After His TimeCompilation album1992Cowpokin' & Udder Love Songs1994The Lean Years 1950–19941997Radio Daze...The Shroud of Tourin'''
|2000 |Rhoades...All Over the Map|
|2003 |The Shadow You Cast (Depends on Where You Stand)|
|2005 |Raparations|
|2008 |Weapons of Mass Deception|
|2014 |Darryl Rhoades Presents Songs for Teenagers in Heat|
|2017 |The Last Goodbye''
References
External links