Who is Mark Daniel Ronson? The entertainment and music world knows him as a
Mark Ronso British DJ,
guitarist,
music producer, artist and co-founder of
Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of
Mark Ronso & The Business Intl.While his debut album
Here Comes the Fuzz failed to make an impact on the charts, his second album,
Version included three top ten hits and won Ronson a
BRIT Award for
Best Male Artist 2008. His third studio album,
Record Collection, was released on 27 September 2010.
Early life
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| Samantha Ronson |
Ronson was born September 4 1975, at the
Wellington Hospital,
St John's Wood, to writer/socialite Ann Dexter-Jones and one-time band manager and real estate entrepreneur Laurence Ronson.
[3] His parents are of
Ashkenazi Jewish descent, with ancestors from
Austria,
Russia, and
Lithuania, and Ronson was brought up in
Conservative Judaism.
[4][5] Ronson's family name was originally
Aaronson but his grandfather Henry Ronson changed it to Ronson.
[6] Ronson is related to British
Conservative politicians
Sir Malcolm Rifkind and
Leon Brittan,
[3] as well as
Odeon Cinemas founder
Oscar Deutsch.
[7] Ronson has younger twin sisters,
Charlotte Ronson, a fashion designer, and
Samantha Ronson, a singer and DJ. Ronson also has five younger half-siblings. Alexander and Annabelle, through his mother's remarriage to Mick Jones as well as David, Henrietta, and Joshua, through his father's remarriage to Michele
 |
| Mick Jones |
Human. After his parents broke up, his mother married
Foreigner guitarist
Mick Jones, which contributed to a childhood surrounded by music.
[8]
Career
Ronson went to high school at the private
Collegiate School in New York.
[9] Attending
Vassar College and then
New York University (NYU), Ronson became a regular at downtown hip hop spots and made his name as a DJ on the New York club scene in 1993, charging $50 per job. Though a novice with little experience, he became known for his diverse, genre-spanning selection. Influenced by
funk, the
hip hop scene of New York and the more rock influence of the UK (all of which he incorporated in his sets) he attracted a wider audience. He was soon one of the most respected DJs and was being called on for celebrities' private parties. In 1999, Ronson was featured in an ad wearing
Tommy Hilfiger denim in the recording studio for an ad campaign for the company.
[10]
He provided the
score for the 2011 film
Arthur.
Here Comes the Fuzz and initial producing
He moved on, however, to producing music after
Nikka Costa's manager heard one of his gigs and introduced the musicians. He produced her song "Everybody Got Their Something", and soon Ronson signed a record contract with
Elektra Records. Mark had produced tracks for Hilfiger ads, and in 2001 used the connection to have Costa's single "Like a Feather" used in an ad.
[11]
Ronson's first album,
Here Comes the Fuzz, was released in 2003 and was critically acclaimed and a financial success, despite initially poor sales. On the album, he wrote the songs, made the beats and played guitar, keyboards, and bass. The album featured artists from diverse genres, including
Mos Def,
Jack White,
Sean Paul, Nikka Costa,
Nappy Roots and
Rivers Cuomo.
[12] The best known song from the album, "Ooh Wee", samples "
Sunny" by
Boney M and features
Nate Dogg,
Ghostface Killah,
Trife Da God, and
Saigon.
It was featured that year in the movie
Honey and its soundtrack. The song was later used in the movies
Hitch and
Harold &; Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.
[12] Two weeks after releasing
Here Comes the Fuzz, Elektra Records dropped him.
[13] Ronson has since produced multiple songs on the albums of singers Lamya,
[14] Macy Gray,
[15] Christina Aguilera,
Amy Winehouse,
Lily Allen, and
Robbie Williams.
Ronson became one of the regular DJs at
Justin Timberlake's New York club, Suede, when it opened in 2003.
[16]
In 2004, Ronson formed his own record label,
Allido Records, a subsidiary of
Sony BMG's
J Records, along with his longtime manager Rich Kleiman. The first artist he signed to Allido was rapper
Saigon, who later left to sign with
Just Blaze's
Fort Knox Entertainment. He has signed
Rhymefest, most well-known for winning the
Grammy for co-writing
Kanye West's "
Jesus Walks".
Version (album)
Ronson released a cover of
The Smiths' track "
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" under the title "Stop Me" on 2 April 2007, featuring singer
Daniel Merriweather, which reached number 2 in the UK singles charts, the biggest hit for Ronson to date.
Ronson remixed the
Bob Dylan song "
Most Likely You'll Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)" in promotion for the three disc Bob Dylan set titled
Dylan released October 2007. Ronson has also produced
Candie Payne's "One More Chance (Ronson mix)" in 2007.
The album has been well received by critics. In May 2007 it was awarded the title Album of the Month by the British dance music magazine,
Mixmag. On 23 June, the DJ made the cover of the
Guardian newspaper's Guide magazine, alongside singer
Lily Allen.
In June 2007, Ronson signed DC hip hop artist
Wale to Allido Records. In late 2007, he focused on production, working with
Daniel Merriweather on his debut album, and recording again with
Amy Winehouse and
Robbie Williams.
[17]
On 24 October 2007 Ronson performed a one-off set at
The Roundhouse in
Camden,
London as part of the
BBC Electric Proms 2007. The performance featured the BBC Concert Orchestra and included special guests
Terry Hall,
Sean Lennon,
Tim Burgess,
Alex Greenwald,
Ricky Wilson,
Charlie Waller,
Adele and
Kyle Falconer.
[18]
Ronson received a
Grammy Award nomination in early December 2007 for 'Producer of the Year, Non Classical', along with
Timbaland and
Mike Elizondo. Ronson's work with Amy Winehouse also received substantial praise, gaining 6 nominations.
Back to Black, an album mostly produced by Ronson was nominated for 'Album of the Year' and 'Best Pop Vocal Album'. "Rehab" received nods for 'Best Female Pop Vocal Performance', 'Song of the Year' and 'Record of the Year'. Ronson would go on to win three Grammys for 'Producer of the Year' as well as 'Best Pop Vocal Album' and 'Record of the Year' (which he shared with
Amy Winehouse) in early February 2008.
[19]
Ronson is credited as producer on a mixtape album called
Man in the Mirror, released in January 2008 by the rapper
Rhymefest which is a tribute to the pop star
Michael Jackson. The album features Rhymefest appearing to speak to Michael Jackson using archive audio from interviews with the pop star.
Later in January 2008, Ronson received three nominations for the
Brit Awards, including 'Best Male Solo Artist', 'Best Album' (
Version) and 'Song of the Year' ("
Valerie"). Ronson won his first Brit for 'Best Male Solo Artist' in mid February 2008 over favorite
Mika. He also performed a medley of "
God Put a Smile upon Your Face" with Adele, "Stop Me" with Daniel Merriweather and "Valerie" with Amy Winehouse.
The performance allowed for a large boost in sales in the
iTunes UK Top 100. "Valerie" would jump almost 30 spots in the days after the event, while "Just", "Stop Me" and "Oh My God" all appeared in the chart as well. That same week, Ronson appeared twice in the UK Top 40, with "Valerie" rebounding to number 13 and "Just" at number 31, his fourth Top 40 hit from "Version". The Brits performance also allowed for "Version" to climb 18 spots to number 4.
Around this time, Ronson received his first number one on an international chart (Dutch Top 40) for "Valerie", which has spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. He collaborated with
Kaiser Chiefs on their third album.
[20]
Ronson has toured the album "Version" vigorously through both the UK and Europe during 2008. Notable sold out performances at The Hammersmith Apollo and Brixton Academy. Ronson is known to champion new upcoming artists on the road with him, such as
Sam Sparro and
Julian Perretta. Ronson's string backing was provided by the all-female string quartet
Demon Strings. In May 2008, Ronson played at the largest private party in the world, the Trinty Ball in Trinity College Dublin.
On 2 July 2008 in Paris, Mark Ronson performed a unique live set with
Duran Duran for an exclusive, invitation-only performance. Together, they showcased specially re-worked versions of some of Duran Duran's classic hits that were created by Ronson, along with tracks from the band's new album,
Red Carpet Massacre. Ronson & the Version Players also brought Ronson's acclaimed live show to the event, performing songs from his album
Version.
Simon LeBon was one of his featured guest vocalists. As of March 2009 Ronson was working with the group on their upcoming 13th album.
[21] The Album, titled
All You Need Is Now was released digitally exclusively via Apple's iTunes on 21 December 2010. A physical release with an expanded track list will be released in March 2011.
[dated info][22]
Record Collection
At the launch of his most recent Gucci pop-up store in London, Ronson confirmed the name of his new album
Record Collection, and said that he hoped to have it out by September 2010. Additionally, Ronson announced the name of his new band, "The Business Intl.'", which is the alias adopted by Ronson on the third studio album. The first single "
Bang Bang Bang". which featured rapper
Q-Tip and singer
MNDR[23] was released on 12 July 2010, where it peaked at number 6 on the
UK Singles Chart, giving Ronson his fourth Top 10 hit.
The single also saw success on the
Irish Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 18. The second single from the album, "
The Bike Song", was 19 September 2010
[24] and features
Kyle Falconer from
The View and
Spank Rock. The album was released on 27 September 2010. This is the first of Ronson's albums that he has sung on.
[25]
Videos
Personal life
Ronson spends his time between
New York and
London; due to this and his childhood he has a
Mid-Atlantic English accent. Ronson is the nephew of property tycoon
Gerald Ronson. Mark has two sisters who are twins:
Charlotte is a fashion designer and his other sister
Samantha is a DJ and singer. He lived next door to, and was friends with,
Sean Lennon. Ronson became a
naturalised citizen of the
United States in 2008.
[27]
 |
| Rashida Jones |
In 2002, he began dating
Quincy Jones's daughter, actress/singer
Rashida Jones[28] They became engaged in March 2003, with Ronson proposing by creating a crossword puzzle with the message "Will you marry me".
[29] They later broke up. In the beginning of 2008, Ronson briefly dated English model/socialite
Daisy Lowe.
[30] Ronson went on to date
Tennessee Thomas,
[31] the English drummer of American indie girl band
The Like, but they split in early 2009.
 |
| Joséphine de La Baume |
In March 2009, Ronson was pictured with
French actress and singer
Joséphine de La Baume.
[32] She featured in his 2010 video for "The Bike Song." The couple got engaged in February 2011.
[33]
In 2009 he participated in
PETA's "Please Don't Wear Any Fur" campaign.
[34] He was also voted the most stylish man in UK by
GQ magazine.
[35]
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
- Other charted songs
Notes:
- A - As Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.
Production discography
Albums
Singles
Awards
Winner
- Grammy Award 2008 Producer of the Year - Non-Classical, Record of the Year (with Amy Winehouse), Best Pop Vocal Album (also with Winehouse)
- The BRIT Awards 2008 Best British Male Solo Artist
- Vodafone Live Music Awards - Best Live Male - Winner 2008
- Glamour Women of the Year - Men of the Year - Winner 2008
Nominations
- BRIT Awards 2008 Best Album - Version, Best Single Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse)
- MOBO Awards 2010 Best Video - Bang Bang Bang (feat. Q-Tip & MNDR), Best Song - Bang Bang Bang (feat. Q-Tip & MNDR)
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| Mark, , Samantha, and Ann Dexter-Jones (Family Photo) | | | | |
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