Gilbert R. "Speck" Rhodes - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Born in West Plains, Missouri, “Speck” Rhodes would join another West Plains native Porter Wagoner to star on “The Porter Wagoner Show.” Speck would play base fiddle as a member of Porter’s band, “The Wagon Masters,” but is best known for is comedy routines. One of his best-known comedy routines was his weekly telephone call to his girlfriend “Sadie” who was back home and would fill him in on her life and the hometown happenings. Speck was also a frequent guest on the Grand Ole Opry often performing with the Wagon Masters or doing a comedy routine with other Opry Comedians including, Minnie Pearl, Cousin Jody and Lonzo an Oscar. Speck Rhodes died on March 19, 2000 and is buried in Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.
Source/Credit: (visit link)

Description: Gilbert Ray Rhodes was born in the small town West Plains, Missouri on July 15, 1916. He was one of 6-chilren who were all very talented musicians, however it he and his brother Dusty and Slim who would become professional entertainers. In 1934 all three were tour on the vaudeville circuit as the Log Cabin Mountaineers. As a result of the Vaudeville circuit Dusty would become a well-known fiddle champion and Slim organized a well-known radio band that was popular in Western Tennessee an Arkansas. Gilbert play banjo and bass fiddle and had developed a comic character called “Speck” Rhodes. In 1960 “Speck” auditioned for the “Porter Wagoner Show,” and although Speck an Porter were from the same small town of West Plains and knew each other they had never worked together until the Porter Wagoner Show was cast. Speck and Porter would stay together for the next 20-years, appearing in 1000’s of concerts nationwide as well as appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Speck Rhodes died in Nashville, Tennessee on March 19, 2000 and is resting in Spring Hill Cemetery. Date of birth: 07/16/1915 Date of death: 03/19/2000 Area of notoriety: Entertainment Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - During Daylight Hours Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log for waymarks in this category, you must have personally visited the waymark location. When logging your visit, please provide a note describing your visit experience, along with any additional information about the waymark or the surrounding area that you think others may find interesting.

We especially encourage you to include any pictures that you took during your visit to the waymark. However, only respectful photographs are allowed. Logs which include photographs representing any form of disrespectful behavior (including those showing personal items placed on or near the grave location) will be subject to deletion.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.