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Ronnie Barron

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US blues rock / soul keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter (BMI IPI# 61322514), born 9 October 1943 in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana; died 20 March 1997. Barron began his career in the bars & clubs of New Orleans, singing with the bands of musicians such as Leonard James, Earl Stanley and Mac Rebennack. Early work by Barron was issued under several such pseudonyms, one being "Morgus The Magnificent" - a title taken from a 'crazed scientist' character on a popular sci-fi on a Louisiana TV station. "Drits & Dravy" was a pseudonym for Rebennack & Barron's recordings for the AFO label. In 1965 Barron left New Orleans and moved to California to work as a session musician with Sonny & Cher, signing with Don Costa to RCA. In Los Angeles he also performed with the Prime Ministers, signing to Atlantic and backing Bobby Darin in 1966. He broke from sessioning to become a group member of Paul Butterfield's newly-formed band Better Days in 1971 and he appeared on their releases in the following two years. Between 1971 & 1988 Barron worked on recordings with a number of renowned artists, including Tony Joe White, Redbone, Gene Clark, Ry Cooder, Dr. John, John Mayall, B.B. King, Kim Carnes, John Lee Hooker, Canned Heat, Tom Waits and Eric Burdon. In 1988 he appeared as a bartender in the Steven Seagal film "Above The Law".