From the Don Rhodes Archives: He Covered More than Country
Don Rhodes made a name for himself covering country music, but his entertainment interests were far broader than just the Nashville scene.
Sonny & Cher in 1965. Don Rhodes kept a ticket stub from the duo’s concert at Atlanta’s Municipal Auditorium the same year.
Photo by Douglas Miller/Keystone/Getty ImagesAs I continue to go through the boxes of memorabilia we received from the late Don Rhodes’s sister, it has been fun to see the many different sides of Don’s career.
Many knew Rhodes as a writer with a real love for and knowledge of country music. But Rhodes was a reporter, more specifically an entertainment reporter, and his job was keeping readers up- to-date on all events – country or otherwise – in the community.
Rhodes had a love for music and entertainment of all kinds, as well as a real passion for the community he called home. He, at one point, was covering entertainment as well as city government. His was a career built on diversity and flexibility.
Looking through the memorabilia I found mementos and keepsakes from all kinds of shows, including:
- Stephanie Mills, The Whispers & Atlantic Star in 1987 here in Augusta
- An all access pass for New Edition in 1986 at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center
- Wayne Newton’s 1984 Augusta appearance
- Tom Jones - twice - at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center
- Gospel music stars Amy Grant and Russ Taff in 1985
- M.C. Hammer in 1990 at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Cener
Traveling outside the CSRA didn’t stop Rhodes from enjoying a good show. Found in his archives were tickets for:
- Sonny & Cher at Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta in 1965
- Bob Dylan at Municipal Auditorium in 1965
- The Georgia Music Hall of Fame celebration in 1987
While the events Rhodes covered ranged all over the musical map, he also covered a broad range of events outside of music. A few I found were:
- The Augusta Players
- The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
- The Downtown Augusta Christmas Tour of Homes
- China’s Golden Dragon Acrobats
Thank you, Don, for all your years covering concerts, charity events, performances and more. We were, indeed, entertained.
