My life began in a small Indiana town with a red-brick Main Street lined with manicured yards.

I am the youngest of eleven siblings in a blended family where music and singing were an integral part of my everyday life. It was my mother's and grandmother's passion for music that influenced my desire to play and sing. My mother's record collection of Nancy Wilson, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, and more made a lasting impression on me, as did the pop radio stations and albums my older sisters played at home.

As my horizons expanded, I began singing professionally at Plaza Nine, a popular restaurant in Dover, DE, with pianist Nick Wayne. We worked in Delaware, Atlantic City, NJ, and on two cruise ships, performing Old Standards, Jazz, Blues, and Pop.

I continued to hone my craft, singing leads and backing vocals for the BoogieMen, a local Florida band performing Rock & Soul tunes, as well as for Third Street Exit, a full-time cover band at the elegant Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL.

In Delmarva, I worked with jazz pianist Dale Britt at the Phillips Beach Plaza Hotel in Ocean City, MD, and after twelve seasons, our song list reached over 700 tunes, and we recorded 6 CDs. I continued to sing with Dale for another decade.

Other musical endeavors include the Delmarvalous Dolls, a World War II/Andrews Sisters tribute group, and the Blue Dog Cafe Christmas Show. On Sundays, I lead songs of praise at my church, helping to create an atmosphere of worship.

I listen to many genres of music, from the Great American Songbook to jazz, blues, pop, soul, and contemporary Christian. Some of my favorite artists are Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, Kristin Chenoweth, and Karrin Allyson.

Providence has brought me into a new season performing with Joe Holt and Mike McShane. I hope there will be other collaborations to come. Only God knows where this will lead, and I am excited about the future.

Longing for more of Jesus,
Rhonda