07/06/16 Rhonda Smith – Iconic Bassist with Prince & Jeff Beck

Rhonda Smith is a Canadian Bassist best known for her collaboration with Prince and, more recently, with Jeff Beck.A chance meeting with Sheila E. at a music convention in Germany opened the doors to Rhonda’s lengthy tenure with his Royal Badness, Prince.  “Sheila knew that Prince was putting a new band together so I gave her my press kit and she sent it to him.  I didn’t hear from him for 2 months and I thought he wasn’t going to call… but thankfully he did.  I flew up to Paisley Park and my audition was basically a jam session with him and a drummer.  Suffice it to say he liked what he heard.  The same day he had me in the studio recording bass parts on the Emancipation album.”In addition to the near decade she spent along side Prince, Rhonda has performed with the likes of Chaka Khan, Beyonce, T. I., Erykah Badu, Patti Austin, Patrice Rushen, Brenda Russell, Lee Ritenour, Larry Graham, Patti Labelle, Little Richard, Najee, Candy Dulfer, Rachel Farrell, Kirk Whalum and George Clinton.