Trivia

Dropped out of performing and eventually became a mental health counselor in his native Mississippi.

Often stated as a boy that he wanted to become a Baptist minister when he grew up. Ironically, he converted to Roman Catholicism during the 1990s.

Ten-year-old Eddie split the $25,000 grand prize with future astronaut and American hero Maj. John Glenn as his teammate after successfully appearing on a very popular episode of the TV game show Name That Tune (1953) on Oct 4th 1957.

Had several hit records in the early 1960s, most notably "I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door" and "Girls Were Made to Love."

Meredith Willson, in his book "But He Doesn't Know The Territory" about the making of The Music Man, said his wife, Rini, saw Eddie on the TV show Name That Tune (1953) and told Meredith they had their Winthrop.

Played Henry Fonda's son on Broadway in "Critic's Choice" and on film in Advise & Consent (1962).

Moved with his family to New York City in 1952 and began a career in entertainment. In the late 1960's, he was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War but remained stateside in a noncombat assignment. After he was discharged, he returned to Hollywood but became disillusioned with show business. In 1973, he returned to Mississippi and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Counseling from the University of Southern Mississippi. For many years, he managed a mental health facility in Collins, MS.

Has shared two roles with Ron Howard. Hodges played Winthrop Paroo in the original Broadway cast of "The Music Man" and the title role in the film The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960). Howard played Winthrop Paroo in the film version of The Music Man (1962) and the title role in the 1975 made-for-TV Huckleberry Finn (1975).

In the 2012 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature, a Senate Resolution was passed officially recognizing Hodges as the first Grammy Award winner from Mississippi in 1959 for his work on the soundtrack the previous year as part of the original cast of the Broadway musical The Music Man.

One of hundreds to audition when the Monkees show was casting.

He made guest appearances on the longest running prime time drama of it's day: Gunsmoke (1955).