Rhonda Merrick
A singer, songwriter and storyteller from Louisiana whose voice has been transplanted to Fort Collins, Colorado where membership with the Music District and The Grocery Story Band have opened opportunities for personal and artistic re-growth. During her 15 years in England, Rhonda Merrick sang lead in a band that toured parts of Europe. She sang on big and tiny stages, live radio and a multitude of festivals. Now, back in America, she's producing some of the songs she wrote. One song in particular, 'My Catholic Charities Bed' chronicles her experience in the FoCo homeless community. It was written on her first day as a homeless person while sitting at a table at the Murphy Center, stranded in Colorado with no phone, no wallet or ID. On that day, she had nothing but a few things in a black trash bag. After getting help that's specifically available for veterans, finding a new job and an apartment and eventually joining the Music District, she finished writing and recording the song. It's an uplifting tune with a strong hook and practical advice for survival. It's also a song of hope which she hopes to share on an acoustic stage here in Fort Collins.
Born in Louisiana to a musical family in 1966, Rhonda grew up listening to some of the greatest Jazz and Blues musicians jamming on the front porch of her family home. Her Uncle, Charles Merrick, was known as the President of Soul in New Orleans.
Aged just 5, she first discovered her own voice, while singing with a band at a wedding reception. After that, she recalls frequently singing acapella in people’s living rooms, and it’s easy to see why.
Growing up in the golden age of Motown, Rhonda found musical inspiration in Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin and the gospel of Mahalia Jackson.
It was no surprise when Rhonda earned a scholarship to study music at San Diego State University. Rhonda studied guitar and piano for two years at university, but moved to New York just two months before graduation. She later claimed, she only really taught herself to play properly, when she started to write songs years later.
Despite her rich musical upbringing, her family didn’t believe music was a real job. It wasn’t until Rhonda reached her thirties that she realised becoming a musician was no longer a choice. As she states “It’s not something I do, it’s something I am.”
In 2011, she successfully embarked on a project to write a song a day for a year. The process helped her refine her songwriting, production and instrumentation and also helped her organise the limitless lyrical ideas in her head.
By the end of 2011 she had built an engaged online following and attracted the attention of Universal Music who agreed to sign her, but the timing was wrong. With the birth of her son, her family took priority and her career was once again put on hold.