Rhonda's NEWS

March 2, 2002

Hello for the last time from Korea! We head back to the states on March 18th. We are all very excited and ready for a rest! We stay home for about a month and then head back out on the road. The next tour will include Hawaii, Singapore, Guam, Diego Garcia, Kwajalein Atoll, Japan, and a couple of the Micronesian Islands. We will tour for about 44 days.

The other news is that once we return from the upcoming tour, I will finally head into the studio and cut the CD everyone has so patiently waited for! I can't wait. We've road-tested some originals here in Korea and gotten great response. A couple of these songs will be included on the album, along with some others I've been searching for.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to our Keyboard Player Dan Hewitt. He celebrates his 26th birthday on the date of
our last show here in Korea, March 16th. Happy Birthday Dan from the band.

Stay well. Rhonda and Red Velvet

February 13, 2002

Greetings again from Korea! I am sorry I haven't posted a message in a while but we stay quite busy. The band and I are really enjoying ourselves and meeting tons of great people. The time here passes very quickly, and before we know it, we'll be home.

Right now we are traveling throughout Areas 3 and 4, which is the Southern part of South Korea. Next week we head back up to Camp Humprey's where we have made many great friends. After that, we head off to Seoul where we finish the tour. We travel back to the states on March 18th.

Once back in the states, I plan to start working on the album, as well as touring Asia again on a Pacific Rim tour. On this tour, we'll visit Singapore, Japan, Diego Garcia, Korea, and Hawaii. Tha band and I are already working on getting ready for that tour as we look at adding a fiddle player to the mix.

I have thoroughly enjoyed touring Korea, and I have also learned alot. Not only about the culture of another country and the military protocols, but also about the music business and touring. It has truly been an experience I will never forget. Along the way, as times were tough and we were missing our families and friends, right then a soldier would come up and tell us how very grateful they were for our visit and music, and that seemed to make it all worth it. I personally would like to thank my family for their love and support and for keeping the home fires burning for me to come back to. Home really is where the heart is. Happy Valentine's Day to all you lovers out there, Happy Birthday to Anna and Denielle, and See you all soon in the USA!!

January 2, 2002

Happy New Year from Korea! The band and I all wish each and every one of you the best of health and happiness this New Year! We all hope 2002 will be a great one!

We are staying extremely busy here in South Korea: We play 6 nights a week, and spend our days off doing laundry, shopping, sight-seeing, and all the things we can't do during the week. The band and I enjoyed our Christmas and New Years' holidays, but we're also glad that they are over, spending them in a foreign country without our families was a unique experience, and we can't wait to get back home.

The weather here is staying pretty cold, it reminds me alot of New England Right now there is snow on the ground that fell New Years Eve, and hasn't melted yet. So, we bundle up and try to stay inside as much as possible.

The shows we are doing are really wonderful. The GI's are such a captive audience. We have tried about 4 original songs during our shows to see what the troops think. We have had nothing except positive feedback. I am so proud to be a part of entertaining these guys, it makes all the hard work worth it. We all know that we are making someone's day a little brighter, and that makes it an easy job.

Thank you to all the fans, families, and supporters who frequent the page, look at the pictures, sign the guestbook, and email us all the time. It's nice to have a little piece of home.

Again, Have a Happy and Prosperous New Years and stay safe.

Love,

Rhonda Lee and Red Velvet (Jason, Kevin, and Dan)

November 17, 2001

Hello for the first time from Korea! The band and I have arrived safely, and are soooo excited to be here. We arrived on the 13th after a full day on airplanes. We stopped over in Detroit, Michigan and Tokyo, Japan. I tried my first taste of Japanese Sake' and I must say it knocked me for a loop! Pictures of that will follow...

Time here is flying already. We stay so busy that there isn't much time to get homesick. We played our very first show here in Korea at Camp Essayons on Thursday the 15th. We had such a good time. Last night, we played at Camp Howze where we were treated to a first class introduction to playing for the troops. These guys are wild and crazy! We all had a blast. We are starting a Korea pictures page very soon so everyone will get a chance to see firsthand all the fun we are having!

We are now up in Tongduchon, living right outside Camp Casey. We are scheduled to stay here until after the holidays. South Korea is divided into 4 sections. We are now in Area 1. This has the most clubs and the most soldiers. Early next year, we move to areas 2, 3, and 4. We will be posting the schedule very soon on the tour schedule page.

I wish I had unlimited time available to write and tell you all the fantastic things I am seeing. It's really quite amazing that I am here. The soldiers are so wonderful to entertain, (and they entertain us as well!) and they make our job so easy. Thanks to you all for visiting the page, and please check back often to see the news and pictures as we go through this four-month long journey. Take care, love Rhonda, Dan, Kevin, and Jason.

October 13, 2001

Hi Everyone! Things here in Nashville are staying busy, but we wouldn't have it any other way! The new band (Red Velvet) and I are keeping ourselves busy working to get ready for the tour to Korea. We have our passports in hand, and we are ready to go! We are especially excited to be doing what we can to help keep morale up during these trying times. It's a tough time to be a soldier, and we just hope we can make their lives a little brighter by bringing our gift of music over there.

I'm also busy putting together the quarterly newsletter to send out to all fan club members. This newsletter will fill you in on all the fun stuff going on in the band, new members, lots of pictures, and a chance to purchase some merchandise. Look for it in your mailboxes by November 1st!

Thanks go out to Lance at Cybercountry for featuring our tour on the News page. Click here to see what he wrote... Cybercountry has been a great supporter of the Rhonda Lee Band since we moved to Nashville, and we sure do appreciate the kind words. Click hereto see the page he devoted to us. Thanks!

One more note: In these times of struggle, with terrorism on the prowl, it's hard to feel safe here in America. Please take the time to say what you need to to your loved ones because you never know what will happen tomorrow. Don't leave anything undone, unsaid, or unpurued. If you have a dream, like all of us do, pursue the dream while you can. I personally want to say thank you to all my family and fans who support my dream on a dailt basis. I love all of you and thank you from the bottom of my heart. Love, Rhonda

September 25, 2001

Whew! Glad to be back after the New England tour! It was a crazy trip! I'm sure we all feel the same way about the tragedy that occurred on September 11th... I feel so badly for the people who lost loved ones, and I hope Americans continue to band together and fight terrorism! I am proud to be an American and I salute all those whose job it is to defend this country and all it stands for.

The new band and I are busy preparing for the Korean tour. We have a lot of work to do in order to be at our best for the 4-month long trip where we will entertain troops all over Korea. We will be spending the holidays overseas and will certainly appreciate emails and letters from home.

The New England tour was lots of fun although it was clouded at times due to the situation going on in New York and around the country. The fans were incredible, as they always are, and the Country Angels and I had lots of fun performing all over NH, MA, and VT. During a weekend gig at the Grist Mill in Killington, Vermont we were shocked to find out that none other than Jimmy Buffett was in the audience. We got a chance to hang out with him after the show, and I must admit, he's a VERY fun guy! Thanks Jimmy for coming to the show both nights.

New merchandise has been added to the Fanclub/Merchandise Page. We have also ordered new t-shirts and those will be available very shortly. Orders will continue to be filled by the Fan Club President while we're in Korea, so feel free to start your subscription to the Fan Club, order new pictures, bumper stickers, or your choice of magnets.

August 15, 2001

Well! As you probably saw on the home page, we have been booked to do a 4 month long Korean tour to entertain the troops proudly serving our country. To say we are excited would be an understatment! We're thrilled! I'm sure this is going to be a life-changing experience both for me and for my band members! More news will be posted here as it is announced!

New promo pictures are done. Thanks so much to Ric Boyer who did such a wonderful job. Bumper stickers have also been redesigned, as well as adding 2 new styles of magnets. Please see the Merchandise page for more details and ordering information.

The September New England tour is just around the corner... I can't wait to perform at Riverfest with the Don Campbell Band (did I mention we were opening for Joe Diffie!!!)

We have been receiving many orders for Fan Club memberships, and we are thrilled! Our merchandise manager is working diligently to make sure all orders go out quickly! You can place orders by mail, email, or you can call in your order to Urban Express Productions at (603) 532-7353. You can now even pay for your purchase securely through PAYPAL.

Have a great end of Summer and see y'all on the road!

July 17, 2001

Hi Again from Nashville! Well, let me get right to the news!

With Fan Fair over, I have tons of new pictures to share. Please visit the Pictures Page and check out all the new photos. I tried to also throw in some newer "Older" ones that mean something special to me. I hope you all enjoy!

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Hippo Press from Manchester for taking the time to include me in an article about the upcoming RiverFest to be held in Manchester September 7-9th. I am very excited about kicking off my Fall tour at Riverfest, and can't wait to see my old friends and make new ones! See you there!

Congratulations on a job well done to Blazing Hearts who kicked serious butt at the True Value Country Showdown held last week in Concord, NH. Sorry I missed the show, but I was there in spirit!

The Fall tour is starting to book up, but we still have openings. If you'd like to see Rhonda Lee visit your favorite club, TELL YOUR CLUB OWNERS/BOOKING AGENTS! The new band is amazing (we even added a Fiddle Player!) and this tour will feature new originals from the upcoming album, plus all your old and new favorites. Club owners or booking agents are welcome to call Urban Express Productions to schedule your performance-(603)532-7353

Hope everyone's having a great summer!

June 25, 2001

Whew! Things in Nashville have finally started getting back to normal now that Fan Fair 2001 is over! This was my first Fan Fair and I must say, I am very impressed! I got the chance to meet people from all over the world while listening to some of the best country music I've ever heard! During the week, I was able to attend the TNN/CMT Country Music Awards where I caught performances and appearances by Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, LeeAnn Womack, Lonestar, Billy Gilman, SheDaisy, JoDee Messina, Toby Keith, and many others! To say I was starstruck would be an understatement!

During the week of Fan Fair I also attended a benefit for the Reading, Writing, and Rhythm Foundation which promotes music in schools. This is a very important charity, and I hope you will support them if you ever have a chance. Music in schools gives kids a chance to show creativity and even helps them learn better! I know this made a difference in my life, and I have made a new commitment to making a difference of my own. Visit the Official Website of the Reading, Writing, and Rhythm Foundation and learn more about how you can help. This foundation was started by Chely Wright who also hosted the concert. The performers who participated in the concert at the Wildhorse Saloon were Darryl Worley, Brad Paisley, Jessica Andrews, Richard Marx, Rascal Flatts, and Ty Herndon. It was a great concert for a great cause!

Now that Fan Fair is over, I am back hard at work searching for the perfect songs to record. I just received a set of demos from my friend Dick McVey, and have found some really great material. Now the hard part is narrowing the number of songs I like from 40 to 10! It's harder than it sounds!

The Massachusetts Country Music Association has just announced the nominees for their 2001 Country Music Awards. I am pleased to tell you that Wild...Wild West was nominated for Best 5-piece Band. Wow! Pretty good for a band that hasn't officially played together in 7 months!!! I'm proud of the nomination, though, and appreciate the fact that these awards are nominated by MCMAA members, and the fans choose! I'm glad our band made an impact on the fans of Massachusetts. THANK YOU Massachusetts for the support! Also, congratulations to Paul Gentile of Blazing Hearts on being nominated for Lead Guitarist AND Fiddle Player of the Year! Nice that he's finally getting the recognition he deserves! Love ya Paul! Also, great job to Blazing Hearts on being nominated as Newcomer Band of the Year! Y'all rock!!

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