Born on January 12, 1907, Andrew Jackson “Jack” Rhodes was a musician, songwriter, and music producer. He made significant contributions to country and western music and is a leading figure in the emergence of rockabilly music. Rhodes began his musical career in the early 1940s after an injury sustained while working in a shipyard saw him take up music to fill his time in recovery. He would go on to form his own western swing bands. Rhodes appeared on the Louisiana Hayride show and performed in music circuits in Louisiana and Texas. In the early 1950s, Rhodes stopped performing to focus primarily on songwriting and recording. He operated the Trail 80 Motor Courts in Mineola, where he built a recording studio. Rhodes would write and record country and western and rockabilly music and serve as a promoter and mentor to up-and-coming musicians. He also signed on as a contract writer for Central Songs, which allowed his music to reach artists signed to Capitol Records. In the 1960s, Rhodes formed his own record label, national sounds. He also owned All Roads Music Publishing and Red Ball Music Publishing. Rhodes is credited as a writer/co-writer on over six hundred songs, including “A Satisfied Mind,” “Rockin’ Blues,” and “Silver Threads and Golden Needles.” The latter garnered him a BMI Award. Rhodes passed away on October 11, 1968. He is buried at Cedars Memorial Gardens in Mineola. For his contributions to North American music, Rhodes was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. His music continues to be covered by artists spanning multiple decades and musical genres. (2023)