Carla Rhodes

Artist Description

Carla Rhodes (born 16 April 1982, died ???) is a rock 'n' roll ventriloquist & comedienne. Her partners in crime are effigies of rock'n'roll legends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. She also works with a cantankerous 1920's gentleman named Cecil Sinclaire.

Carla caught the ventriloquial bug at the age of 8 while growing up in Kentucky. As a teenager she was performing regularly and was mentored by her biggest influence, Shari Lewis. After moving to Tennessee to attend Middle Tennessee State University, Carla recorded a full length comedy music album in Nashville. "I Love Animals," a cut off of "Carla's Golden Hits, vol 6," got rotation on the Dr. Demento's "Top Funny Five," eventually placing at number two. With a Mass Communications degree under one arm, and a puppet under the other, Carla then escaped to New York City.

She has appeared at establishments all over New York City including Joe's Pub, Bowery Electric, Le Poisson Rouge, Highline Ballroom, Comix and Issue Project Room. Print credits include New York Magazine, Paper Magazine, Penthouse Forum, the New York Post, Time Out New York and the Village Voice. TV credits include appearances on FUSE, The Learning Channel, Canal+ and a shout-out on the Late Show With David Letterman.

Dubbed by New York Magazine as one of the "Ten New Comedians That Funny People Find Funny," described in The Pulse as a "corkscrew-haired waif with painted red lips and spitfire moxie,"  and The Villager says it best, "Rhodes is the Savion Glover of vents, almost single-handedly injecting a notoriously uncool and backward-looking performance branch with a badly-needed kick in the ass." Carla Rhodes is certainly bringing ventriloquism screaming into the 21st century!