Rhonda Smith

Thank heaven Prince doesn't think all women are like Darling Nikki — willing sex objects with no other discernible talent to offer. People would be forgiven for thinking this is his actual viewpoint, but the truth reveals itself on stage.

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In fact, whether it was Wendy and Lisa hammering on the keys and guitar, Sheila E. wailing on some percussion or Rosie Gaines belting out a divalicious tune, the artist formerly known as "the Artist Formerly Known as Prince" has relied on women to hold him down musically throughout his career. We might remember the male band member in the Revolution who dressed up like a surgeon for the "When Doves Cry" video, but the true standout presences in all of Prince's groups have been ladies. And the quietest, yet most anchoring, presence in his band for the past decade has been his bassist, Rhonda Smith.

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Too funky to only work for the New Power Generation and not explore her own ideas as well, Smith recorded her two solo albums (the 2000 debut, Intellipop and the sizzling new RS2, which features an appearance by her famous boss) in Atlanta, and she's also interfaced with an unlikely corner of the local scene through work with artists such as rapper T.I. What could sound — with the wrong fingerstyle — like adult contemporary tunes is flipped into songs that could please the entire age spectrum. Prince is a notorious perfectionist with his own grooves, a quality that Ms. Smith has been happy to absorb with her own panache. And — guess what — she's kept her clothes on the whole time.