Ronnie Self

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ronnie Self (born July 5, 1938 in Tin Town, Missouri , † August 28, 1981 in Springfield , Missouri) was an American rockabilly musician.

Life

Childhood and youth

Ronnie Self was the eldest child of railroad worker Raymond Self and his wife Hazel Sprague. He was interested in music as a young boy and wrote his first songs as a teenager.

Career

After sending several demo tapes to various record labels, he met producer and manager Dub Albritton in 1956, who also had Red Foley under contract. Albritton referred Self to ABC-Paramount . But his 1956 record Pretty Bad Blues / Three Hearts Later received little public attention. Shortly thereafter, he took part in Albritton's Phillip Morris Caravan . The tour increased Self's popularity noticeably. That led to a contract with Columbia Records in the same year . There he had his only hit in 1958 with Bop A Lena . The song was released via CBS in Germany , among others . Self, who was already married and had a son, played a few more records for Columbia, but they could not build on his initial success.

Then he got a contract with Decca Records . His appearances there were not very successful. Until the 1960s he still had a few small successes as a composer and during the rockabilly revival he also achieved fame in Europe .

Ronnie Self died on August 28, 1981 in Springfield, Missouri, at the age of only 43. He was posthumously inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame .

Discography

year title Record company
1956 Pretty Bad Blues / Three Hearts Later ABC Paramount Records
1956 Sweet Love / Alone ABC Paramount Records
1957 Big Fool / Flame Of Love Columbia Records
1957 Ain't I'm A Dog / Rocky Road Blues Columbia Records
1958 Be Bop-A-Lena / I Ain't Goin 'Nowhere Columbia Records
1958 Big Blon 'Baby / Date Bait Columbia Records
1958 You're So Right For Me / Petrified Columbia Records
1958 Rockin 'Ronnie Self Philips
1959 This Must Be The Place / Big Town Decca Records
1960 So High / I've Been There Decca Records
1962 Something You Can't Change / Instant Man Decca Records
1962 Oh Me, Oh My / Past, Present and Futute Decca Records
1963 Houdini / Bless My Broken Heart Kapp Records
1967 Ain't A Dandy / Long Distance Kiss Scratch records
1968 High On Life / The Road Keeps Winding Amy Records
  • About Cured?
  • Ain't That Good Wood
  • Beat, Broke and Blue
  • Biggest Dog In Town
  • Black Night Blues
 not published
  • Boppin 'the blues
  • The Boss' Daughter
  • Do It Now
  • Get Out Of My Live
 not published

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Self, Ronnie
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rockabilly singer
DATE OF BIRTH July 5, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Tin Town , Missouri
DATE OF DEATH August 28, 1981
Place of death Springfield , Missouri