THE PATH

Musician And Wife Use Music As A ‘Path’ For Giving To Those In Need

By Lydia Crochet

We’ve all heard the saying, “Behind every great man (who just happens to be the bass player and lead singer of a legendary rock band), there’s a great woman,” right? I recently had the opportunity to interview one of these great women. Rhonda Nelson, of Del Rey, Fla., is married to Wayne Nelson, long-time bassist and current front man of the Little River Band, which dominated the music charts of the ‘70s and ‘80s, and continues to dominate the classic rock stations of today. But Rhonda is a star in her own right. Even though she’s not the one on stage, she’s certainly a driving force behind her husband, the band and countless people in need. What’s it like being married to a rock star? Busy. The band performs between 95 and 110 shows a year, with Rhonda and her husband as tour managers. Together they own Tuesday Productions, a company that writes and produces radio and TV jingles. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Rhonda finds the time to blog, do charity work, care for their dogs and run the family home in Florida. As far as having a celebrity in the house, she doesn’t see Wayne as a rock star. To her, he’s a laid back, approachable, genuine guy. “When he’s on stage, he’s up there doing what he absolutely adores and loves for 90 minutes. He delivers the songs he’s sung for years that continue to bring back all kinds of memories for folks. But when he walks off that stage, he throws his baseball cap on backwards and we do things that all of you do. We get our hands dirty in our lawn; he crawls under the sink to fix a leak; we make an occasional stop at the drive-through at McDonald’s for an order of fries.” The Man In The Band Little River Band (or “LRB,” according to Will Ferrell in the movie The Other Guys) was formed in Australia in 1975 and immediately made their mark in rock history with their perfect pitch vocal and guitar harmonies. Nelson, an American, joined the band as the bassist in 1979. Like most legendary rock bands, the Little River Band has had its share of ups and downs over the years; members have come and gone. But what’s remained is the talent. For 35 of the 40 years of the Little River Band’s existence, Nelson has shared his talent with the world. He’s been hailed as the “gum-chewing, singing bass player.” (In many old video clips, you can see him chewing gum while singing and playing.) He currently leads the band on tour, night after night, belting out hit after classic hit, as well as their new music. Their latest album, Cuts Like A Diamond, was released in 2013. Little River Band Hits Many readers will remember the group for its mega-hits like “Reminiscing,” “Lady,” “The Other Guy,” “Man on Your Mind,” “Help Is on Its Way,” “Take It Easy on Me” and “Night Owls,” in which Wayne recorded lead vocals. For those of us raised in the ‘70s and ‘80s, their music brings us back to the days before iPhones, when skating rinks were the means of socializing. “Lonesome Loser,” released in 1979, begins with an inquiry: “Have you heard about the lonesome loser?” The answer to that question is “yes.” We’ve all heard about the lonesome loser. Many of us know all the words to the song. And if you were a true product of the late ‘70s, you’ve never, ever, wished someone a “happy anniversary” without singing the line “Happy anniversary, baby. Got you on my mi-ind” from the famous song that bears the title. But the band’s classic hit (and my personal favorite) “Cool Change,” with its haunting harmonies and piano, will forever be the song that reminds us to unwind and recharge. It urges us to leave the everyday hustle and bustle behind and spend the remainder of our days “sailing on the cool and bright, clear water.” With an albatross. Remember? Selling over 30 million albums in four decades, this group was the first to have Top 10 hits for six consecutive years. Life On The Road The five band members, three crew members and a driver travel the country all year long, usually by bus. Rhonda often travels with her husband on the road, whether it be by plane or by bus, staying in hotels. I asked her how many shows a year she is able to attend. “It’s hard to put a number on the amount of shows I attend. I go whenever possible, depending on what’s happening with other businesses or events I’m working on, and anything that’s going on at our home. At various times throughout the year, other wives or significant others will come out and spend time on the road based on their work and family schedules.” Giving Back Together, this power couple, fueled by past sufferings and present good will, are making a difference in the world around them. Rhonda lost her father to melanoma when she was just 10. She later lost her step-father in a tragic accident. Wayne has certainly suffered his share of loss, as well. In 1992, his 13-year-old daughter lost her life in a car crash in San Diego while he was on tour. He would later use the heartache of that tragedy to pen “Who Made the Moon?” It’s a song that showcases the innocent curiosity of children and the tough questions they sometimes ask. But one heart-wrenching verse from the song resonates with any parent who has lost a child. Wayne wrote: “Who made the moon; who paints the sky; “Who hangs the stars and turns them on each night? “Who shows the world how to play in tune? “She got her answers way too soon. “She knows who made the moon.” There’s a long list of charities the two support. For some, they’ve organized benefit concerts.

Wayne, Rhonda and Angel Rose

On that list are various cancer organizations and children’s charities, like the Florida Fishing Academy, where Rhonda is currently serving as a board member. But their compassion isn’t limited to humans. The couple also supports many charities benefitting animal rescue and welfare, like Southern Comfort Maltese Rescue, National Mill Dog Rescue and Have a Heart. Rhonda and Wayne are proud owners of two Maltese rescues … Igloo, 17, and Macho, 9. Angel Rose, who passed away in 2015, was another rescued Maltese the couple took in. She was found paralyzed after being dumped on the side of the road. Rhonda recalls, “She never regained the use of her back legs, but we got her a custom cart so she could ‘run’ with Igloo and Macho. And when she wasn’t in that cart, she was in my arms with me everywhere.” Rhonda created a Facebook page called “Angel’s Page” to share Angel’s adventures. “As each day went by, this little girl never ceased to amaze me with her determination and her spirit, to not let her disability get in the way of enjoying life. I was continually amazed and inspired by her.” Rhonda says, “Being able to give back, in any way that me and Wayne are able to, is very important to us. Our schedules don’t always allow us to actually go to an organization and do physical work, whatever that might be. But we have a path [we can use to help] — Little River Band. It affords us the opportunity to help organizations raise money and awareness. “Every night that I attend a show, I see how the band’s music continues to touch people, and they still appreciate that music. As long as that path is available, we will continue to do what we can do to make a difference.” What’s Next? Rhonda is working on a new lifestyle blog — “Rhonda Gayle Nelson: My life on the road and things in between.” She describes this new project as “…a path that I want to use to inspire people. I want them to know that they can be and do whatever they set out to do. I’ve reinvented myself many times over the years with various careers, never knowing what will come of it, but always having the faith to jump in and try. “It could have been very easy for me to lose myself behind Wayne. I’m not just ‘the wife of’ [someone], I am my own person with my own talents. This new project highlights that.” The Favorite Song I asked Rhonda to tell me her favorite LRB song. “It’s difficult to pick a favorite song, but there are two that are at the top. The first one is ‘Help Is On Its Way.’ Just what the title implies is the very sentiment that Wayne and I feel towards giving back. “My other favorite is ‘Take It Easy On Me.’ At the point in the set when Wayne sings this song, there are a few notes he hits, and I can tell by how he gets through that part of the song if he’s having a good night.” Spoken like the true, great woman behind the great man. Little River Band performed at the Grand Event Center in Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, on March 12.