Rhoda Scott, born on July 3, 1938, is an acclaimed American soul jazz organist and singer, often referred to as “The Barefoot Lady”. Raised in Dorothy, New Jersey, she was the first child of a Black traveling minister father and a white mother, and has six siblings. Her early exposure to music was in the churches where her father served, and she quickly developed a passion for playing the organ, starting at the age of seven.

Scott’s parents were also musicians, which further nurtured her musical environment. By the age of nine, she had already taken over as the church organist temporarily when the regular organist fell ill. A signature aspect of her playing style, which she adopted early on, was playing the organ barefoot to better work the pedals.

Her formal music education included tutoring piano at her boarding school around the age of 12 or 13, and later attending Westminster Choir College at 16, where she discovered Bach. Despite leaving Westminster due to financial constraints and working as a bookkeeper, she continued her music education at the Manhattan School of Music. In her early twenties, Scott began playing the organ in an R&B group, founded her own bands, and started performing around New York. She recorded her first album in 1963 and achieved early success with her song “Hey Hey Hey”.

Scott’s career took a significant turn when she moved to France in 1967, where she has spent the majority of her career. Alongside her jazz career, she also maintained her roots in church music, serving as an organist at a parish church in Perche, France, for forty years. In her personal life, Scott married French actor-singer Raoul Saint-Yves in 1968, who also became her manager. They adopted two children, born in Haiti.

Rhoda Scott’s journey from the small churches of New Jersey to international jazz stages showcases her deep connection to her musical roots and her versatile talent as an organist and singer.