Classic Soul
Petersburg, Virginia

Born and raised in nearby Petersburg, Virginia, Rodney Stith is quickly becoming one of Virginia’s most beloved up-and-coming classic soul and R&B artists. Petersburg has traditionally been better known for gospel music than soul or R&B, although local Petersburg record shop owner Ben Allen recorded several local doo-wop and R&B groups in the late 1950s for his Nu-Kat Record label, including The Velvatones, The Five Roses and, most prominently,  the Continental Five. Still, the musical heartbeat of Petersburg’s African American community remained in the church, which is where Rodney first cut his musical chops, singing and playing bass guitar with his uncle in several local gospel groups and later joining a gospel quartet where he gained an appreciation for singing with great emotion, passion, and soul.