Album Notes

Kimmie Rhodes is a native Texan who grew up in Lubbock, Texas and began her singing career at the age of six with her family gospel trio. She moved to Austin in 1979, where she met DJ and producer Joe Gracey, an instrumental figure in the Austin music scene who she eventually married.

She has appeared at many of Willie's Farm Aid concerts and July 4th Picnics. Willie says Kimmie is "an undiscovered superstar" and together they recorded two of her originals for his album Just One Love.

Kimmie recently appeared on Austin City Limits with Emmylou Harris, Dave Mathews, Patty Griffin, and Buddy & Judy Miller, where she and Emmylou performed their Grammy-nominee song "Ordinary Heart" (nominated for Best Female Country Vocal). She has also guested on Late Night With David Letterman, performing "West Texas Heaven" at his request. Kimmie's TV appearances also include a songwriter "guitar pull" Austin City Limits show with Willie, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Billy Joe Shaver as well as two episodes of The Nashville Network's "Legend Series" hosted by Willie Nelson and another hosted by Waylon Jennings. Waylon said, "When I hear Kimmie sing it makes me know what the phrase Ôpulling on your heart strings' means."

Kimmie's songs have been recorded by such stellar acts as Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Amy Grant, CeCe Winans, Joe Ely, John Farnham, Waylon Jennings and Peter Frampton. Kimmie co-wrote a song, "Lines," with Waylon for his Justice release "Right For The Time." Kimmie's movie soundtrack credits include "A Heart That's True" for the "Babe: A Pig in the City" CD, "I'm Not An Angel" featured in the soundtrack of "Mrs. Winterbourne" starring Shirley MacLaine. Her song, "Shine All Your Light," co-written with Beth Nielsen Chapman, was recorded by Amy Grant for the Touched By An Angel TV series soundtrack and CD, which reached the Top Ten in Billboard's CD charts.

A playwright and actress as well, her debut theatrical project was the writing and 1998 workshop production of her musical, Small Town Girl. Directed by and starring Joe Sears of "Greater Tuna," the play was staged in Willie Nelson's western town movie set (Luck, Texas). She and Joe Sears have now written and produced a new musical review called Hillbilly Heaven in Luck and in Cody, Wyoming. They are in the process of writing and recording songs and the script for their newest play, Doing God's Chores, featuring all original songs, to debut in 2003. She is currently working with Sears as Musical Director for his outdoor drama production of Trail of Tears for the Cherokee Heritage Center.

Another recent project is the Sunbird Press novella/cookbook, The Amazing Afterlife of Zimmerman Fees, a story by Kimmie with recipes by Joe Gracey and Kimmie.