Todd Rhodes' career can be easily divided into two parts. He studied early on at the Springfield School of Music (1915-17) and the Erie Conservatory (1919-21), not only as a pianist but as a writer.
Rhodes was the pianist and one of the main arrangers for
McKinney's Cotton Pickers from 1922-32 and 1933-34, appearing on most of the band's most important recordings. After leaving The Cotton Pickers,
Rhodes settled in Detroit, playing locally for years. By 1946 he had switched to R&B and recorded extensively as a leader from 1947-54 (mostly for King) plus as a sideman on dates by
Dave Bartholomew and
Wynonie Harris. After his R&B period ended,
Rhodes slipped back into obscurity but he had made his mark on music history twice. ~ Scott Yanow