AKA Rodney Keith Eskelin

Born: 30-Jan-1937
Died: 15-Dec-1974
Location of death: Los Angeles, CA [1]
Cause of death: Suicide

Gender: Male
Religion: Presbyterian
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Musician

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Legendary Song-Poem Composer

Rodd Keith is the most well known composer of "Song-Poems". This was a popular scam in the 60s, where you mail a company your poem, and they send back an order form for 45 record of your song being performed by top Hollywood musicians. In reality, these songs were being cranked out by the dozens an hour by overtired hacks. The results of these collaborations were often very strange, and became quite a collector's item for the kind of people who seek out very strange music. Rodd's compositions are revered most of all. A musical prodigy with a background in religious music, he moved to L.A., got a job with a song-poem company, and started doing a lot of psychedelics. You can really hear it in the outlandish arrangements and maniacal performances that make up his song-poems. Much of this work has been compiled by John Zorn and by WFMU.

Official Website:
http://home.earthlink.net/~roddkeith

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