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Style: Funk, Rock, Jazz
Origin:USA
Touring party: 5
Territory: Exclusive for Europe
Availability: On Request

Rhonda Smith, longstanding bass player for legendary visionary Prince, has appeared on a myriad of magazine covers from Bass Player with the purple majesty himself to Bassics. Rhonda, who released her debut record Intellipop in 2000, has played bass for and toured with the revolutionary Prince for close to a decade; and anyone familiar with the Purple Majesty's stringent work ethic knows that in order to be a part of his innovative ensemble, artistic perfection is a non-negotiable requirement.“This is Rhonda and she is funky” is the chant heard and sung by millions of Prince fans at shows on 5 continents.Rhonda Smith is the consummate example of power and grace on bass. A member of Prince's New Power Generation band since 1997, Rhonda can apply fretless finesse to a steamy ballad and, in the spin of a boot heel, dole out serious double-thumbing on a furious funk workout. With Prince, Smith's grooves onstage and on disc are impressive -- but her evocative 2000 debut solo CD Intellipop reveals a savvy composer, sultry vocalist, and seasoned arranger / producer who masterfully juggles overdubbed 5- and 6-string, electric upright, piccolo bass, and fretless in service of the songs.” - Bass Player Magazine. RS2, Rhonda's sophomore CD, is a breakout and breakthrough record that beautifully showcases the genius talent in her element. And people do dig it, especially His Royal Badness, who also appears on RS2. The album is plush and detailed with an abundance of virtuoso performances from renowned artist Sheila E. to a surprising duet with gospel superstar Fred Hammond. Rhonda says that in her experience playing with Prince she has learned “a lot of patience and the importance of being solid in the band.” She goes on to say: ”Everyone has a different role and I've learned a lot of techniques from Prince. You have to be around it and inhale it and watch it for a while and live and breathe it. Things such as that I have learned and have been invaluable.” Rhonda attended McGill University in Montreal where she studied jazz performance. While at McGill, she began touring Canada with different rock groups, usually as the sole female artist proving that she could hang with her male counterparts. She worked with many notable Canadian artists including Claude Dubois, Daniel Lavoie, Robert Charlebois, and Joanne Blouin. She won a coveted Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for her work with Jim Hillman and The Merlin Factor. Since coming to the US, Rhonda's resume reads like a Who's Who of the music industry. In addition to her work with Prince, she has performed with Chaka Khan, Beyonce, T. I., Erykah Badu, Patti Austin, Patrice Rushen, Brenda Russell, Lee Ritenour, Larry Graham, Patti Labelle, Little Richard, Justin Timberlake, Najee, Candy Dulfer, Kirk Whalum and George Clinton, to name a few.