George Arthur Rhodes

George Arthur Rhodes (October 10, 1918 (Sources conflict.) The birth date of 10/10/1918 has been used based on his 1954 immigration card, on October 10, 1918 to Margaret and James Rhodes. However, he moved to Chicago, Illinois and it is often credited as his hometown.

Career Rhodes began his career in Chicago as a pianist for the blues singer Lil Green in 1944. Rhodes also continued playing piano with jazz musicians such as Jonah Jones.

In 1955, Sammy Davis Jr., while in New York to star in the musical Mr. Wonderful, hired Rhodes as pianist in the band of his variety act, the Will Mastin Trio, which was then led by Morty Stevens,

In 1972, George Rhodes and his band accompanied Sammy Davis Jr to Vietnam to perform in USO show for American soldiers in various parts of the country. Besides Rhodes and Sammy Davis Jr, Lynn Kellogg, Ted Barret and several chorus girls performed for the GIs.

Rhodes again broke barriers in 1973 by becoming the first black music director of a Las Vegas showroom when he was hired by the Tropicana Hotel. This was precipitated by Sammy Davis Jr. becoming a director of the hotel (the first black director of a Las Vegas casino), at which he would also be performing.

In 1978, Rhodes was set to conduct the orchestra during Davis' return to Broadway in the revival of Stop the World - I Want to Get Off as he had for Golden Boy, but was dismissed during previews in San Diego. It was reported that the producers had agreed to Davis' request for Rhodes to conduct only to placate him, but did not think Rhodes would be up to the job and instead wanted to use Ian Fraser, the arranger and music supervisor of the original 1961 production. However, upon finding out, Davis refused to continue in the production until he was reinstated, saying later "I told them I couldn't perform. It's like losing my family." Rhodes died of a heart attack in his sleep at his Los Angeles home early in the morning of December 25, 1985. Shirley reported that he had not been ill, and that the doctor who pronounced him dead said he "had no pain." Rock, Rock, Rock (AAMCO, 1959)

As sideman Arnett Cobb, Arnett Blows for 1300 (Delmark, 1994) Jonah Jones, Jonah Jones at the Embers (Groove, 1956) Jonah Jones, Muted Jazz (Capitol, 1957) Sammy Davis Jr., I Gotta Right to Swing (Brunswick, 1960) Sammy Davis Jr., That's All! (Reprise, 1967)