Ronny Drayton (May 19, 1953 – February 7, 2020) was a guitarist based in the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

area and

Monroe, New York Monroe is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Orange County, New York, Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 21,387 at the 2020 census, compared to 39,912 at the 2010 census; the significant fall in census ...

. Born and raised in

South Jamaica, Queens South Jamaica (also commonly known as "Southside") is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located south of downtown Jamaica. Although a proper border has not been established, the neighborhood is a subsectio ...

, New York City, Drayton started out playing drums at St. Clement The Pope Middle School and switched to guitar at age 14. After

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

, he eventually met and played with many musicians in diverse genres, including

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, and R&B. He became an in-demand

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 ...

, performing with

Edwin Birdsong Edwin L. Birdsong (August 22, 1941 – January 21, 2019) was an American keyboardist and organist, known in the 1970s and 1980s for his experimental funk/disco music. Birdsong did not achieve much chart success, but developed a strong fan base. ...

Nona Hendryx Nona Bernis Hendryx (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Ma ...

, The Persuaders, and

The Chambers Brothers The Chambers Brothers are an American psychedelic soul band, best known for their eleven-minute 1968 psychedelic soul hit " Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions ...

. He also studied Composition and Arrangement at

Kingsborough Community College Kingsborough Community College (KCC) is a public community college in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system and the only community college in Brooklyn. History Founded in 1963, Kingsb ...

. Over the years, he has worked on numerous recording projects as well as various TV shows and videos. In late 2012, Drayton joined

24-7 Spyz 24-7 Spyz (pronounced "twenty-four-seven spies") are an American rock band from the South Bronx, New York, formed in 1986, originally consisting of Jimi Hazel (born Wayne K. Richardson) (guitars), Rick Skatore (born Kenneth D. Lucas) (bass), ...

, performing with them as well as the bands

Defunkt Defunkt is an American musical group founded by the trombonist and singer Joseph Bowie in 1978 in New York City. Their music touches on elements of punk rock, funk, and jazz. Career Joseph Bowie is the brother of big band musician Byron Bowie ...

and Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber until his death. In 2012, Drayton was active in trying to get his son, Donovan Drayton, released from

Riker's Island Rikers Island is a prison island in the East River in the Bronx, New York, United States, that contains New York City's largest jail. Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was originally under in ...

. In 2013, he contributed music to a benefit album to help recoup the legal fees involved in this fight. On February 7, 2020, Drayton died of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma and treatment complications at the age of 66.

Partial discography

*1973 - Edwin Birdsong - Super Natural *1976 -

Roy Ayers Roy Edward Ayers Jr. (September 10, 1940 – March 4, 2025) was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several studio albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure ...

Ubiquity - ''

Everybody Loves the Sunshine ''Everybody Loves the Sunshine'' is a studio album by Roy Ayers released under the Roy Ayers Ubiquity umbrella. It was released through Polydor Records in 1976. It peaked at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. In 2016, ''Pitchfork'' pla ...

'' *1982 -

Material A material is a matter, substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an Physical object, object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical property, physical ...

- ''One Down'' *1984 -

David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt; 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan (band), Japan. During his time in Japan, Sylvia ...

- ''

Brilliant Trees ''Brilliant Trees'' is the Solo album, debut solo studio album by the English musician David Sylvian, released on 25 June 1984 by Virgin Records. The album peaked at number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Gold Record, Gold by the ...

'' *1987 -

- ''Female Trouble'' *1988 -

- ''In America'' *1988 - Missing Links – ''Groovin *1999 -

Meshell Ndegeocello Meshell Ndegeocello ( ; born Michelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her mid-career work. ...

- '' Bitter'' *2013 - Various Artists - 4Donovan *2018 -

- The Soundtrack To The Innermost Galaxy With

James Blood Ulmer James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940) is an American jazz, free funk and blues music, blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been ...

*1981 - ''

Free Lancing ''Free Lancing'' is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded in 1981 and released on the Columbia label.

'' *1981 - '' Black Rock'' *1989 - '' Blues Allnight'' *1990 - '' Black and Blues'' *1992 - ''

Blues Preacher ''Blues Preacher'' is an album by the American guitarist James Blood Ulmer, recorded in 1992 and released in Japan on DIW Records and in the US on Columbia/DIW.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drayton, Ronny 1953 births 2020 deaths Musicians from Queens, New York People from Jamaica, Queens 2012 in music Guitarists from New York (state)