Ronson

Mick Ronson (May 26, 1946 – April 29, 1993) born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire was an English guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. more...

Home
Knives, Swords & Blades
Militaria
Science Fiction
Tobacciana
Ashtrays
Cases
Cigar
Cigarette
Felts, Silks
Lighters
Camel
Colibri
Dunhill
Dupont
Evans
Non-Branded Lighters
Animals
Anime
Automobiles
Casino-related
Cigar Lighters
Glass Lighters
Gun-shaped
Other
Pen-shaped
Other Brands
Ronson
Scripto
Zippo
Animals
Automobiles
Beers
Celebrities
Cigarettes
Distilleries
Flags, Patriotic
Military
Motorcycles
Movies
Music
Nautical, Ships
Other
Playboy, Pinups
Police, Firefighting
Skulls, Gothic
Sports
Match Holders
Other Tobacciana
Papers
Pipes
Rollers, Makers
Signs
Tags
Tins
Tobacco Cards
Trading Cards
Transportation

He is most well known for his work with David Bowie from 1970 to 1973, Bowie's glam rock period, including being part of Ziggy Stardust's Spiders From Mars band.

He also had a solo career, the most notable exponent of which was his Slaughter On 10th Avenue album, that reached No 9 on the UK album charts. Ronson also guested on various different bands' releases after his time with Bowie. He was named the 64th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone .

Early life

Michael Ronson was born on Beverley Road, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire in 1946, then moved to live in Greatfield, Hull. As a child he played piano, recorder, violin, and harmonium. He initially wanted to be a cellist , but moved to guitar when he got hooked on Duane Eddy and The Yardbirds. He joined his first band, The Mariners, in November 1963 at the age of 17. His stage debut with The Mariners was in support of the Keith Herd Band at Elloughton Village Hall, a gig for which the band travelled 35 miles and got paid 10 shillings (50p). While Ronson was working with The Mariners, another local Hull group - The Crestas - recruited him on the advice of The Mariners' bassist Johnny Griffin. With Ronson on board the Crestas gained a solid reputation, making regular appearances at local halls: Mondays at the Halfway House in Hull, Thursdays at the Ferryboat Hotel, Fridays at the Regal Ballroom in Beverley, and Sundays at the Duke of Cumberland in North Ferriby.

In 1965, Ronson left The Crestas to try his luck in London. He took a part time job as a mechanic, and before long, he teamed up with a band called The Voice, replacing Miller Anderson. Soon afterward, Crestas' drummer Dave Bradfield made the trip down to London when the Voice's drummer left. After playing just a few dates with the group, Ronson and Bradfield returned from a weekend in Hull to find their gear piled at their flat and a note explaining that the rest of the group had gone to the Bahamas. Ronson stayed in London and teamed up briefly with a soul band called The Wanted, before eventually returning to Hull.

In 1966, Mick Ronson joined Hull's top local band, The Rats, joining singer Benny Marshall, bassist Jeff Appleby, and drummer Jim Simpson (who was subsequently replaced by Clive Taylor and then John Cambridge). The group played the local circuit, and also made a few unsuccessful trips to London and Paris.

In 1967 The Rats recorded the one-off psychedelic track, "The Rise And Fall Of Bernie Gripplestone" at Fairview Studios in Hull. 1968 saw the band change their name briefly to Treacle and book another recording session at Fairview Studios in 1969, before reverting to their original name. Around this time, Ronson was recommended by Rick Kemp to play guitar on Michael Chapman's Fully Qualified Survivor LP.

Read more at Wikipedia.org