Rhonda Nicole
Dallas, TX-born, Bay Area-based independent soul singer and songwriter Rhonda Nicole’s musical roots were planted firmly the day her parents brought her home from the hospital, placed her in her crib, and turned on the radio. Her father--who was born and raised in New Orleans and who studied jazz and classical music before entering the seminary—introduced her to everything from “easy-listening” to Zydeco. Rhonda Nicole’s mother, in contrast, brought the sounds of Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Sly and the Family Stone, and the Fifth Dimension into her world. Rhonda Nicole’s formal music training began at age six with piano lessons, then later saxophone, choir, and musical theatre. From the very beginning, singing was Rhonda Nicole’s one true passion.
A prolific songwriter since her “tweens”, Rhonda Nicole honed her craft as a lyricist by ingesting music by a multitude of artists across a variety of genres. She sharpened her vocal performance skills at Dallas’ famed Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and continued to perform while earning her Bachelor’s Degree at Southern Methodist University. In 2001, Rhonda Nicole scored the once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of the inaugural cast at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, where she portrayed Mabel--a character loosely based on Aretha Franklin’s role in The Blues Brothers film—in USJ’s “Blues Brothers Revue”.
In 2002 Rhonda Nicole teamed up with Dallas-based musician Montrose (co-producer of Nuda Veritas) and began performing around the city with him and his band at local live music venues and festivals. The band’s big break came in 2008 when Montrose was tapped to perform on the annual Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise, and in 2009 Rhonda Nicole made her solo performance debut on the Fantastic Voyage. She has also performed as a solo artist at the Red Vic Sessions in San Francisco, CA, and the 2007 and 2008 GoGirls Music Festivals in Dallas.
In 2010, Rhonda Nicole released her debut EP Nuda Veritas on the independent label Candlehouse Records. That same year, she performed before an audience of 80,000 at musician/activist Michael Franti’s 12th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and was featured as part of the Atlanta Live music showcase during the 2010 Soul Train Music Awards. “SoulLover”, the lead single from Nuda Veritas, was added to Dallas public radio station KKXT 91.7’s “Texas Mix” program in the summer of 2010.
Rhonda Nicole describes her sound as “wild honey rock”: An unpredictably delectable fusion that moves the spirit, the heart, and the feet.
In addition to continuing to promote "Nuda Veritas" and writing new music for her next project, Rhonda Nicole is the acting editor for SoulTrain.com and a freelance contributor to the site, helming SoulTrain.com's exclusive "Artist to Artist" series.
ABOUT NUDA VERITAS
A collection of original material that offers everything true music lovers yearn for, Nuda Veritas conjures the spirit of ol’ skool rock n soul, drawing the listener in to a world as beautiful as it is bittersweet. From the raucous energy of “Mia” to the southern lilt of “Wanderlust”, the bright-eyed hopefulness of “Just Fine” to the sho’ ‘nuf sensuality of “SoulLover” and the deep longing of the Montrose-penned “Like You Should”, “Nuda Veritas” and is an open invitation to further explore the soul of a woman on the verge of love, loss, and naked truth.
