Born Ronald Horvath in Queens, NY, on March 10, 1953, Ronnie Earl started
playing guitar after entering college in the early 70’s, and soon landed a job
in the house band of the Speakeasy Club in Cambridge, MA. In the late 70’s,
Ronnie Earl recorded for the small Boston-based Baron Label with guitar
Johnny & the Rhythm Rockers, then with harmonica player/singer
Sugar Ray Norcia
(Sugar Ray & The Bluetones). In 1979, Ronnie Earl replaced guitarist
Duke Robillard
in the Rhode Island-based big horn band Roomful of Blues. He spent the
next eight years touring and recording with Roomful. During this same time
Ronnie Earl made his first solo recordings for Black Top Records,
Smokin’ (1983), They Call Me Mr. Earl (1984), and Deep
Blues (1985). He left Roomful in 1987 to pursue his solo career. Ronnie
Earl released Soul Searchin, in 1988, and Peace of Mind in 1990.
1991’s Surrounded by Love, his last recording for the Black Top label,
reunited him with
Sugar Ray Norcia.
By the early ‘90s Ronnie Earl began to rethink his musical approach and
deputed his new instrumental direction, more influenced by jazz than ever, on
1994’s Still River (AudioQuest). Ronnie Earl released several
critically acclaimed albums on the Bullseye Blues label including Language
of The Soul (1994), Blues Guitar Virtuoso Live in Europe (1995),
and 1996’s Grateful Heart: Blues and Ballads (featuring
David "Fathead" Newman).
Ronnie Earl’s major-label Debut, 1997’s The Colour of Love (Verve), was
one of the biggest hits of his career. That year he won the W.C. Handy Award
for Best Blues Instrumentalist – Guitar. Ronnie Earl left the label and took
time off from recording and live performance. Earl returned to the studio with
two releases for Telarc; 2001’s Healing Time which paired him with
soul-jazz organ Legend Jimmy McGriff and 2001’s Ronnie Earl and Friends
– with special guests
Kim Wilson
(Fabulous Thunderbirds),
Levon Helm (The Band),
Irma Thomas and
Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson.
I Feel Like Goin' On, his Stony Plain Records debut, features 74
minutes of blues, pure, intense and soulful. Ronnie Earl called it his
favorite studio recording of the dozen – odd CDs he’s released since leaving
Roomful of Blues in the late 80’s.
Visit Ronnie Earl's official website.
Ronnie Earl at myspace.com.
Visit also these related Sites:
Biographical Information on Ronnie Earl
Ronnie Earl biography at livinblues.com.
Ronnie Earl biography by Steve Huey.
Ronnie Earl biography at wikipedia.org.
Ronnie Earl biography at telarc.com.
Reviews and Critiques of Ronnie Earl Live Performances and Recordings
Ronnie Earl And Friends. Cd review by Maria Bainer.
Live review by Ted Drozdowski.
Cd review by Chet Williamson.
Ronnie Earl w/Inside Straight @ Brewbaker's August 21, 1999. Live review by Ann Wickstrom.
Ronnie Earl Interviews
Ronnie Earl interview by Brian D. Holland.
Ronnie Earl Photos
Three Ronnie Earl photos.
Two Ronnie Earl photos by Dragan Tasic.
Ronnie Earl Videos
ronnie earl, tbone boogie. Runtime 06:22.
ronnie earl and smokin joe. Runtime 04:46.
ronnie earl. Runtime 04:12.
ronnie earl - interview. Runtime 06:59.
Ronnie Earl - Blues Guitar with Soul DVD. Runtime 03:34.
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