Written by: Rick Rome

he Valley’s own country music artist, Rhonda

Towns, is a success story and inspiration for

people trying to take their talent to the world-

wide stage. Her music may be “charting” around world, and

her band may be in Nashville, and she may have a Blue Dia-

mond Almond commercial airing nationally (all true!), but

Rhonda’s heart is in Phoenix.

We know this because of her annual concerts to support

foundations dear to her: the founding local chapter of Make-

A-Wish Foundation of Arizona, Save the Family Foundation

of Arizona, and Operation Homefront of Arizona. She also

hosts a weekly local radio talk show called “Rhonda Towns

Plenty of Love” on KPXQ 1360, Phoenix.

Rhonda is a trail-blazing pioneer who has achieved many

groundbreaking country music accomplishments that cannot

go unnoticed. Her determination, faith and drive has inspired

and attracted many others of color to pursue music careers

in the country music industry. Her journey has been challeng-

ing, but she still believes that hard work, honesty and values

will always shine through and the rewards for that will be

fulfilling.

Music has been a part of Rhonda’s life as far as she can re-

member. As a child, Rhonda, affectionately nicknamed Sissy,

would entertain her classmates by singing at school and on

the school bus. Classmates would always beg Rhonda to sing

another song. Rhonda won her first talent shows at her el-

ementary school for two consecutive years in the school’s

talent competition and drew attention from a local country

music television show that invited her to become a regular

talent.

Rhonda’s musical influences are Patsy Cline, Reba McEntire

and Loretta Lynn. “Reba has such strength and power in her

voice. Patsy was soulful, bluesy, and had a unique country

sound. She was way before her time. Loretta Lynn has an

authentic sweet country voice I truly believe is an extension

of her personality.” In addition to all these remarkable enter-

tainers, Rhonda will tell you that her mother has made the

biggest impression on her life and her career. “My mother

is my earthly spiritual partner. She has guided me through

almost every challenge in my life and in the pursuit of my

dreams. Her mottos ‘There is no such thing as can’t’ and ‘If

they can do it, you can do it, too!’ are great words to live by.”

T

To complement her simply natural talents as a country music

singer, Rhonda’s motivation is moved by her genuine love of

traditional country music and spiritual guidance…And for her

there is a definite relationship between the two.

Rhonda immediately started establishing herself within the

country music community in Nashville as a country mu-

sic artist after appearing on Ed McMahon’s Star Search.

She soon after attracted the attention of producer Norro

Wilson (Kenny Chesney/Reba McEntire/Sara Evans/Shania

Twain) after sending in a demo of cover tunes to the A&R

Department of Mercury Records. “Shannon Scott (at that

time Shannon Finnigan) set up a meeting for me with Norro

Wilson. My husband and I took my karaoke box with us to

the meeting and Norro told me to go back home and send

him a demo. My husband immediately said, ‘Wait a minute

we flew all the way from Phoenix, Arizona, she’s going to sing

for you right now!’ So he took the karaoke box out of the

suitcase, set it up and I performed for Norro “A Picture of

Me Without You”.

He decided that he would produce the first four songs on

me including “Slow Rain”. I did not have to go back home and

do that demo for him after all!” Rhonda soon after appeared

on “Today’s Country” with Crook ‘n’ Chase, Good Morning

Atlanta, Good Morning Arizona, Sonoran Living/Channel 15,

Fox 10 News/Phoenix, Arizona, “First Annual Black Country

Music Show” in Atlanta, Georgia, The Famous Bluebird Café,

Douglas Corner, and Café Milano while appearing on shows

for the Black Country Music Association in Nashville. Soon

numerous featured mainstream media articles were written

about Rhonda’s undeniable talent. In 2000 Rhonda made her

debut appearance in Zurich as a headliner at the “16th An-

nual International Concert of Switzerland” followed by her

national appearance and performance on the BET Network.

This officially made her the first female African American

Country Music Artist to debut in Switzerland and the BET

Network.

Rhonda attracted the attention of the late Jim Cotton (Bil-

ly Ray Cyrus, Alabama, Montgomery Gentry) and Harold

Shedd (Alabama, Toby Keith, Billy Ray Cyrus, Shania Twain).

Jim Cotton and Harold Shedd produced five songs together

for Rhonda before Cotton died. Rhonda was inspired by

Martina McBride one day around Christmas time to finish

the album when she heard Martina singing “O Holy Night”

a cappella on the radio. “I had nine songs by three amazing producers. I thought to myself. I learned to sing without music! That’s

how I’m going to finish this album! So I called producer Billy Williams (Lyle Lovett) and asked him to help me lay one track for

“The Lord’s Prayer” just me singing a cappella. The album was finished.” Rhonda decided to officially launch her own independent

country music label called Dawn Records right from her house in Arizona.

In June of 2005, with not much knowledge of how to secure radio airplay, Rhonda herself decided to see if country music radio sta-

tions would play her song on the radio. She asked her friend and mentor, producer Harold Shedd to refer her to a radio promoter

who would help market her music to country radio stations to get her song heard. Rhonda received very warm and welcoming

response from her first release “I Wanna Be Loved By You”. The doubt and skepticism had finally been broken.

In April 2006 she followed up with a second release from her album song titled “Somethin’ Better” written by Bo Allen, which

officially charted on the Music Row Panel. Rhonda Towns “Somethin’ Better” video also received strong video airplay in markets

across the United States. Rhonda had truly initiated and helped to bridge the gap between age and color lines in country music

for women of color in the 21st Century, much like another of her music influencers, Charley Pride.

All the hard work of launching Dawn Records and finally releasing two singles from her debut album Rhonda Towns “I Wanna Be

Loved By You” proved to be challenging but delivered a ground breaking milestone for Rhonda in the genre of country music.

Since the early 1980’s there had been no other woman of color since Ruby Falls to get radio airplay on country music radio stations.

Rhonda’s got a lot more soulful country music to lay down, and plenty of trails left to blaze.

Rhonda’s love for music goes back to when she was a little girl singing in the choir at the tender age of four years old. Old southern hymns and upbeat country gospel songs were always heard from the choir stand on Sunday mornings.

“