Judy Rodman
Judy Rodman |
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Judy Rodman (born May 23, 1951 in Riverside, California) is an American Country Music Singer. In the mid-80s, she was a successful Country music singer, making all the way to #1 on the Country charts in 1986 with the song "Until I Met You". She also won the Academy of Country Music's "Top New Female Vocalist" award in 1985.
Early Life & Rise to Fame
Rodman was born in Riverside, California in 1951. When she was four years old, she began to sing. By the time she was eight, she was already playing the guitar. Because of this, she soon started singing with her father's band at a cruise ship party. While growing up, Rodman's family often moved from time to time. After living in so many places, Rodman's musical tastes varied from Cajun to Calypso. When Rodamn was 17 years old, she began singing commercial jingles. Her voice was heard on one nationally for Jeno's Pizza. When she went to college at age 18, she studied music. Her roomate was none other then Janie Fricke, a future Country singer in the 80s also. The two soon became fast friends, and became jingle singers for the Tanner Agency in Memphis, Tennessee. Rodman also sang with a local nightclub band called Phase II.
In the mid-70s, Rodman worked as a background singer for Country-Soul singers. Soon Judy married drummer John Rodman and the couple decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee (the country music capital) in 1980. Here, Rodman sang jingles for national companies. Soon, Rodman would decide to change careers, and try to make it in the business of Country music.
Country Music Stardom In the 80s
Soon, Rodman switched occupations and went back to singing background, this time for major Country stars, like Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, and also legendary Blues performer Ray Charles. Rodman soon decided she wanted to become a Country singer, and try to make it in that business. Success came when she was soon signed to MTM Records.
Her debut single made the Top 40 titled "I've Been Had By Love Before". "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" did a little bit better in the Top 40 that year, and by the end of the year she had a Top 30 Country hit, with her self-penned song "I Sure Need Your Lovin". Because of this success, Rodman was nominated and won the Academy of Country Music's "Top Female Vocalist" award in 1985, her only major award from Country music.
Rodman's biggest success in the Country market came the next year in 1986, with a new album that was self-titled. That year, she had an No. 1 Country hit called "Until I Met You". The song spent at a week at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs list on the week of July 19. It was succeeded by the song, "On the Other Hand" by Randy Travis. "Until I Met You" was Rodman's only No. 1 hit. She did follow-up her success well that year, with a Top 10 hit from the same album called "She Thinks That She'll Marry", which proved Rodman was not destined to be a One-hit wonder. Her second album came in 1987 called A Place Called Love, which spawned several Country hits including the Top 10 "Girls Ride Horses Too" and a Top 5 cover of Bob Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". Her singles for her upcoming third album proved successful, but her label folded out before her album had the chance to be released.
After the label folded, Rodman eventually faded away from the Country music spotlight, finding work in other places in Country music, besides singing it.
New Horizons
Soon, Rodman faded off Billboard's Country Music charts. This around the same time Neo-Traditional Country singers were entering Nashville and the Country market,s taking up spots on the Country music charts, and finding their way on the Top 10 and Top 20 on the charts. Singers like, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Kathy Mattea, Patty Loveless, Ricky Van Shelton, Lyle Lovett, and Dwight Yoakam all found their way to making hits on the Country charts around this time. Country-Pop-styled vocalists, like Rodman, and her friend Janie Fricke to name a few, were soon finding less and less success on the Country charts.
However, Rodman found different ways to keep herself busy. Around this time, Rodman found success making her way as a background singer once again. She wasn't the first Country singer-turned background vocalist. Emmylou Harris has sung back-up for many singers in the past number of years as well. As a new decade approached Rodman's way, she found success as a songwriter as well. She wrote songs for Warner-Chappell music. One of many successful compositions were Leann Rimes #1 hit, One Way Ticket and the Tammy Wynette/Wynonna Judd duet, Girl Thang. Rodman soon also began making plans for another bid for a new label.
Today, Rodman runs her own website, that tells viewers about how to have a good vocal technique. Her motto used is called, "power, path, and performance". Rodman currently sells, a full six package CD form her official website.
Discography
Charted Singles
| Year | Single | US Country | Album | |
| 1985 | "I've Been Had By Love Before" | #40 | Judy Rodman | |
| 1985 | "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" | #33 | Judy Rodman | |
| 1986 | "I Sure Need Your Lovin'" | #30 | Judy Rodman | |
| 1986 | "Until I Met You" | #1 (1 wk.) | Judy Rodman | |
| 1987 | "She Thinks That She'll Marry" | #9 | Judy Rodman | |
| 1987 | "Girls Ride Horses Too" | #7 | A Place Called Love | |
| 1987 | "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" | #5 | A Place Called Love | |
| 1988 | "I Want A Love Like That" | #18 | A Place Called Love | |
| 1988 | "Goin' To Work" | #43 | single only | |
| 1988 | "I Can Love You" | #45 | single only |