Ronnie Barron (born Ronald Raymond Barrosse, October 9, 1943, in

Algiers, New Orleans Algiers () is a historic neighborhood of New Orleans and is the only Orleans Parish community located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Algiers is known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. It was once home to many j ...

– March 20, 1997) was an American actor, keyboardist, organist, and blue-eyed soul singer during the 1970s. He was known for his work as a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

, and a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

for several artists, as well as his collaborations with Dr. John, a fellow New Orleans native. Musicians who employed him include

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a Western concert flute, classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored ...

Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American blues rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and ...

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and h ...

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Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer and songwriter. He was previously the lead vocalist of the rhythm and blues, R&B and Rock music, rock band The Animals and the funk band War (band), War. He is regarded as one of the Br ...

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, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, and others. Barron met Mac Rebennack in 1958 and performed with him at several venues around New Orleans. They were classmates at Jesuit High School in New Orleans. During that period, he created the Reverend Ether persona to satisfy audiences who were primarily interested in entertainers. Rebennack was so impressed with the gimmick that he wanted Barron to become Dr. John.Blues Access: Paul Butterfield
/ref> Barron was hired by

Sonny and Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of spouses Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. The pair first ac ...

in 1965, and relocated to California to become a session musician, and left the Reverend Ether character behind. He was married to Linda Kelly and had two children, Ronald Raymond, Jr. and Ava. He died in 1997 from complications of heart problems.

Discography

* "Morgus The Magnificent" / "The Lonely Boy" (Vin Records 1013, Apr 1959) as Morgus and the Ghouls * "Bad Neighborhood" / "Keeps Dragging Me On" (JC Records 1000, Apr 1962) as Ronnie and the Delinquents * "The Hip Parade" / "It's All In the Past" (Soundex Records 604, Feb 1963) * "Talk That Talk, Part 1" / "Talk That Talk, Part 2" (Another Record 100, 1963) as Drits and Dravy * "The Grass Looks Greener Yonder" / "Did She Mention My Name" (Michelle 933, 1964) * "1862 B.P." / "48 Hours" (et cet'er-a rec'ords 201, 1970) as Rev. Ether, The Kingdom, The Power and The Glory * ''Reverend Ether'' (

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

DL-75303, 1971) * ''The Smile of Life'' (Better Days/

Nippon Columbia , often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...

YX-7201-N, 1978) * ''Blue Delicacies'' (Sunshine Records SPD-1023, 1979) * ''Bon Ton Roulette'' ( Ace Records CH-79, 1983)

Filmography

References

External links

* * * 1943 births 1997 deaths Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans American rock keyboardists Canned Heat members 20th-century American singers American session musicians Singers from Louisiana 20th-century American keyboardists {{US-singer-stub