Emitt Rhodes, cult musician, singer songwriter and onetime frontman of ’60s baroque pop group The Merry-Go-Round, has died. He was 70. Word came via friend Tony Blass who produced The One Man Beatles, a documentary about Rhodes. “Emitt Rhodes passed away last night at the age of 70,” Blass wrote on Twitter. “I feel honored and blessed to have worked and spent time with him for the past 12 years. I tried my best to tell his story, share his music and spend some quality time with him. We usually got completely drunk together.”
In addition to The Merry-Go-Round, Rhodes is best known for his 1970 self-titled debut which garnered many comparisons to Paul McCartney. (“The One Man Beatles” was his nickname.) His songs have been covered by Fairport Convention, The Bangles, Linda Ronstadt, Tift Merritt and more. After a 40+ year absence from recording, Emitt returned in 2016 with a new album, The Rainbow End.
Rest in peace, Emitt. Listen to some of his music, watch The One Man Beatles, and read tributes from Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles), Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne), Carl Newman (New Pornographers), Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre), Michael Penn, Field Music, and more, below.
Emitt Rhodes passed away last night at the age of 70. I feel honored and blessed to have worked and spent time with him for the past 12 years. I tried my best to tell his story, share his music and spend some quality time with him. We usually got completely drunk together. pic.twitter.com/TxpKV73XbI
— Hollywood Tony (@tonyblass) July 19, 2020
Peace & Love, dear Emitt Rhodes.💔 . . pic.twitter.com/qjNC5sls0Y
— Susanna Hoffs (@SusannaHoffs) July 19, 2020
Goodbye Emitt Rhodes. He single-handedly defined Beatlesque. And he wrote this very lovely song when he was just seventeen. https://t.co/mYscFt2n9R
— bob stanley (@rocking_bob) July 19, 2020
Hearing that Emitt Rhodes has died. His 1st album is a gem – self-recorded in his garage in 1970 – the precocity of Todd Rundgren and oodles of McCartney melodicism. Sometimes talent doesn't translate to success. I hope he found some peace before he died. https://t.co/SIRDQo2xQh
— Field Music (@fieldmusicmusic) July 19, 2020
Rest In Peace emitt Rhodes https://t.co/8uvrKicqcs he wrote that song and this https://t.co/Jr6feN9AMR good stuff
— anton newcombe (@antonnewcombe) July 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/ACNewman/status/1284951904385204229
https://twitter.com/ACNewman/status/1284977452037668865
https://twitter.com/JoeSeiders/status/1284952760668938240
Sad news. Always highly valued by those who knew. https://t.co/AWss3omE5z
— wichitarecs (@wichitarecs) July 19, 2020
Sad to hear of the passing of Emitt Rhodes…for those not hip to his music, his early solo albums from the early 70’s could’ve easily passed as McCartney solo album…he was a bit of a one-man Beatles and those albums are absolutely pop essentials #RIPEmittRhodes pic.twitter.com/Kj6WypMDU6
— Mike Portnoy 🤘 (@MikePortnoy) July 19, 2020
R.I.P. Farewell to a musical hero. Thank you, Emitt Rhodes. pic.twitter.com/rG24xKx1yq
— Steve Hoffman (@SteveHoffmanTV) July 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/MPenn/status/1284950767137255426
Fuck it. Emitt Rhodes has died. Fuck it. For a while the absolute best. An avalanche of melodic ideas and arrangements. Imagine Mcartney but a bit better at tunes. You can buy pretty much everything he did on a two CD set. A true genius. https://t.co/PI526v3le1
— Darren Hayman (@darrenhayman) July 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/soft_abuse/status/1284943514720231429
Thank you for all the wonderful melodies Emitt Rhodes R.I.P.https://t.co/rdjO6muATA
— Justin Levinson (@jxlevinson) July 19, 2020
So long Emitt Rhodes – With My Face On The Floor https://t.co/457g1Uw9Mu
— Christophe Conte (@christopheconte) July 19, 2020