All of my friends and collaborators are my heroes and influences, whether here or there! Mind you... some of these listed are merely influences, I've never worked with some of them; just wish I had...
My friend, The Ultra-talented multi-instrumentalist-producer Bruce Nazarian, Enchantment's heavenly-voiced singer/songwriter Emmanuel (EJ) Johnson; Rock Guitarist of the Zodiac, Ricky Rouse; Funk Brother Guitarist Eddie Willis; my friend, Temptation's current Bassist Kerry Turman; My friend, Brainstorm's Lead singer Lamont Johnson, the baddest bassist that I personally know; my brother, Conquest's Lead singer and lead guitarist, Lester Scott, ; Gloria Ridgeway, my sister; Brainstorm's Lead Singer Belita Woods; Temptation Ali Woodson; Sir Harry Bowens; My kid brother, Pastor Dewitt (Charlie) Matlock, Keyboardist extrordinaire; Larry Graham, one of my best friends, Clarence Kendrick, the late Duane Bradley, Carl "Butch" Small, Gary Praeg, Dave McMurray, my brother, Angelic-voiced, Howard Smith, Pastor Marvin L. Winans, Bishop Walter Hawkins, my brother, Conquest's percussionist/congas, Ed Spencer, Michael Grace, Sweetpea Atkinson, Legendary producer and my greatest co-writer, Michael Stokes; Pat & Rev. Spence, Rod Harrison, Norman Whitfield, Bobby Taylor, Emmitt Glover, Ronnie Nelson, Shirley Caesar, Millie Scott, William Weatherspoon, James Dean, William Luse, Don Fagenson, My son; Kristofer Ronn (DJ Kay-Ris) Matlock, my daughter; Ms. Keli Mari Matlock, Terrence Harrison, Merry Clayton, George Clinton, Uriel Jones, Lamont Dozier, Sam Dees, Bunny Sigler, Bobby Eli, Carl Carlton, Ray Parker, Jr., Ortheia Barnes, Stevie Wonder, And many more than I can readily think of...
RIP:
Funk Brother Bass Legend, the one and only James Jamerson
Rick James
Keith Barrow, Esther Ridgeway, Gracie Ridgeway
my friend, Temptation founder Eddie Kendrick
my friend, Temptation founder Paul Williams, Sr.
Ricky Langston
Donny Hathaway
Isaac Hayes
Barry White
Johnny Allen, Sr.
"Non deest generoso in pectore virtus" .... There is no lack of courage in a noble heart....Thank you for being Who YOU are...
-Ronn
So this is MySpace, huh? Well, I guess that I should tell you some background stuff about myself...
My name is Ronn Matlock. When I was a singer for Warner/Atlantic/Cotillion Records, I only recorded one album, "Love City," which produced and co-written by the legendary Michael Stokes, but now I..m more into writing and production...
Some artists that I have written for that you may know are: Keith Barrow, Shirley Caesar, Eddie Kendrick of the Temptations, Paul Williams of the Temptations, Posse, Bobby Taylor of Bobby Taylor the Vancouvers, Millie Scott, Conquest, and many others have recorded tunes of mine...
I also had the pleasure of producing sessions featuring the famed Motown Funk Brothers rhythm section... Done sessions at some of Detroit's most legendary recording studios, including The Sound Suite; United Sound; Pac 3; Super Disc; Cloudborn; Motown Studio A and The Pit. I've been very lucky in my associations...
My first professional writing collaboration was done at Motown with a guitarist named Ricky Matthews, who later changed his name to the more memorable Rick James...
Ronn Matlock Biography...
I was born in Detroit, but spent my formative years in an exurb named Hamtramck. My musical journey has largely resided behind the scenes as a songwriter on a myriad of projects, getting my first cuts at Motown Records. Prior to the release of the 'Love City' album, I had been offered a songwriters contract at Motown Records by A&R director, Hank Cosby, but turned down the offer... twice! I continued to hang out at Motown, observing Norman Whitfield, James Dean and William Weatherspoon, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Shorty Long, Ivy Hunter, Stevie Wonder and the like and honing my craft.
Though not a contract writer, my tunes, were recorded there; the first being sung by Bobby Taylor (on his first solo project after leaving The Vancouvers,) with backing vocals by the Originals ('Out in the Country' from his set 'Taylor Made Soul' 1969,) and produced by Ricky Matthews, a.k.a. Rick James and co-written by Rick and my close friend, composer Roderick Harrison...
On "Feel like Giving Up," producer Eddie Kendricks is credited as co-writer on the song; however, lyrics and music for that tune were penned by me alone, (I really hate to burst any long-held beliefs with that bit of news,) and as was customary in those still early Motown days, a producer readily asked for or simply demanded a percentage of the writer royalties, thereby presenting himself as a writer of the song as well... The song was earmarked as ex-Temptation Paul Williams' first solo release and should have blown up, I’m told, but Motown shelved it after the baritone's tragic suicide. It first appeared by Kendricks' protégés Posse, on Motown's VIP subsidiary in December 1971, but due to lack of promotion, it did not do well...
Kendricks, Michael Stokes and I wrote earlier Posse releases on Janus Records, "I Got to Take You Out" (March 1971) and “Sun Country."...
I worked with Stokes on many projects, including Keith Barrow’s LP, “Physical Attraction,” and due to our collaboration on songs "You Know You Wanna Be Loved," "Physical Attraction," and "Turn Me Up," Barrow's project stirred some interest. But Barrow's follow-up album -- done without our involvement -- backtracked everything; he enlisted our help for a project on Don Cornelius' label, but the crooner succumbed to AIDS before anything materialized...
During the same period of time that I recorded 'Love City', Shirley Caesar's 1978 contemporary gospel album "From the Heart" on Roadshow Records featured "Heavenly Father," co-written by myself, Caesar and Stokes, "Salvation," "He's Got A Love That Will Last Forever" and the funky "Message to the People"...
My only solo album, Love City (Cotillion 1979), is considered a classic by soul aficionados and has certainly gained in value and is sought after by soul music fans in the United Kingdom, regarded as a 'rare groove' album by these soul punters. The album was released on Cotillion Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic, out of New York, and was produced by the legendary Michael Stokes.
On each of the Michael Stokes projects, were the orchestral arrangements of the late Johnny Allen Sr.; who won an Academy Award for his compositions with Isaac Hayes on the movie 'Shaft'. Most of the lyrical work on these projects was undertaken while I basked in the sun of Miami Beach; at Christmas time!...
Recorded in the Sound Suite Studio in Detroit and utilizing the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s lead strings and trumpeter Johnny Trudell’s famous horns, 'Love City' contained the highly sought after tunes 'I Can't Forget About You', 'Working Man', ‘You Got the Best of Me’ and 'Take Me To The Top (Of Your Mountain)'.
During the 80's, I wrote songs for my close friend, Eddie Kendricks, including 'Something Shady is Going On', 'No Wonder (I Can't Get Over You)' and 'Never Alone'. You'll find these songs on Eddie’s Arista album, “Something More;” (The title song penned by Lamont Johnson of Brainstorm fame,) and also on Eddie’s Atlantic LP, “Love Keys.”...
When I stopped recording (due to production company and management difficulties) I did not 'exactly' drop out of the music business...
"Ev'ry Little Bit," co-written by guitarist-producer Bruce Nazarian, and me, helped Millie Scott's career, I wrote the lyric and melody for it while sitting behind the wheel of my car, and suddenly pulling onto the side of a busy freeway late one night to get my ideas onto my micro cassette recorder. Millie Scott was a joy to work with and write for... Mostly, I wrote songs for the two projects with Bruce Nazarian, but, some tunes were contributed to by Dwayne Bradley, co-writer (with Bruce,) of her hit dance record, "Prisoner of Love!" Merry Clayton redid "Heavenly Father" for Miracles Records (1994). Many other projects have seen a touch or two of my input; however, these are basically my favorites...
I was a songwriter long before I began recording my own compositions. I would construct melodies and lyrics to my colleague's background musical compositions...
I am what is thought of, in music circles as, a 'song doctor', in that I can take a good musical track and infuse it with catchy hooks, words and the way they should be performed...
As for the “B” side of the Benny Rose project... as far as I can tell, it is merely a cover of a tune that Michael Stokes and I wrote for Keith Barrow; “You Know You Wanna Be Loved”, neither of us had anything to do with it! I see that its value has sky-rocketed... wish I had a few of them!...
I managed and at times performed with a young band in the '70s called "The Soul Penetrations;" they went on to become the backup band for Posse, and Eddie changed their name to "Burning Fire". Still later, after they toured extensively with the Temptations, I re-christened them, "Conquest," and produced and wrote the tunes, "Action," and "Never Alone," (co-written by Terrence Harrison, younger brother to Rodrick Harrison), with whom I co-wrote "Out in the Country," with producer Rick James...
I also produced three of my very good friend, Howard Smith's compositions, the fabulous "Jesus Lives," "Look at the People," and "Keep Your Eyes Upon Jesus,"(Marvin L. Winans of The Winans, arranged all of the lovely background singing,) for Fee Productions, the folks who brought us "Float On," by The Floaters...
Unfortunately, Howard got a bit of cold feet at having a secular company to release his Gospel tunes... the company was crestfallen, because they had neglected to sign Howard before the session... Howard went on to become one of Andraé Crouch’s “Disciples”, and later a sought after back-up singer, along with Phil Perry and Alfie Silas...
Bruce Nazarian actually produced a tune on me, called "I'm Not Your Toy," on which we collaborated as writers... a fairly up-tempo tune... Bruce and I have recently reconnected and plan to collaborate on some productions and writing for other artists, and perhaps projects on Bruce and also some new Ronn Matlock stuff!...
I’m currently single and count my two children from as my blessings; Keli (of Atlanta, GA,) and college student, Kristofer, (DJ Kay-ris) and I still call Detroit and environs home. (For the moment!)...
Whenever I DO visit the UK & environs, Kris will accompany me...
More things as I travel memory lane............
Many, many thanks to my friends, Toby Walker of Soulwalking.com, Music Critic Andrew Hamilton and Mick O'Donnell of Soul Discovery 209radio UK, all of whom helped me profusely in the compilation of this Bio by letting me blab on and on ad infinitum about my storied past!
Your Birthdate: September 15
You take life as it is, and you find happiness in a variety of things.
You tend to be close to family and friends. But it's hard to get into your inner circle.
Making the little things wonderful is important to you, and you probably have an inviting home.
You seek harmony with others, but occasionally you have a very stubborn streak.
Your strength: Your intense optimism
Your weakness: You shy away from exploring your talents
Hello Ron...Good to here from you...hay check I've got a show comming up on 4/15/2009 at the Southfield Library from 6:30PM to 8:30PM......They have a Jazz/Blues thing once a month and that's my date comming up.......Hey If you can stop by and see me play live.......It just might spark a few more songs............Take care
Robert Lowe 313-538-2188.........
Hi Ronn, Hope all is well with you. What are you working on right now? Been catching up with some resumés at the site. People live some very interesting lives.
Ok, returned from New York, a whole lot poorer having picked up a pile of 45's, but happier ! I'll send you the mp3 of the Conquest track this week - I hope that's ok. Also picked up a sealed copy of the Millie Scott LP 'Love me right' with the wonderful track 'Let's talk it over' on. I checked but there are no credits to you on the cover - why ??
Hey Ronn, good to hear from you - hope you're well. Managed to find a copy of the Conquest 45 you were involved with a few years ago - a quality track Sir ! Regards from the UK Soul scene.
If life was right up close, could you handle it? most times in our lives we think we want closeness, But can you handle the distance? Couples in love, no matter how much, sometimes need this. Surely you can't go around the whole time of your life thinking you need to have someone or something stuck to you? Know that God is the only thing you need close by you...Because mankind will always let you down. Be at peace with yourself. And always remember God loves us all.....
Online Now!
