Born May 13, 1936, O'Dell was part of a group of young rock 'n' rollers making waves in the Phoenix music scene during the mid-1950s. She was the only woman in that group, which included Duane Eddy, Sanford Clark and producer/songwriter Lee Hazlewood.
“She stood her place with all the guys. She was not looked at as a female player. She was looked at as a player, period,” said Joe Chambers, founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame. “She was just a joy to be around.”
In 1956, she played rhythm guitar on Clark's hit "The Fool," a song written and produced by Hazlewood.
Beginning in 1957, O'Dell played on many Duane Eddy's most memorable recordings, including twangy gems "Rebel Rouser," "Ramrod" and his take on the "Peter Gunn" theme. The pair, who had known each other since they were teenage guitarists in Phoenix, were lifelong friends and sidekicks. Eddy fondly called her "the first side-chick of rock 'n' roll."
In 2014, O'Dell, Barbara Mandrell and Velma Smith were the first three women inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Other members of the Class of 2014 included Buddy Guy and Peter Frampton, among others. She called that moment her "Cinderella night," said Chambers. “Corki didn’t miss a beat. She was just tearing it up.”