Ronnie Brown, a native of Laurel Mississippi, has been playing music since age 11, when his parents gave him his first guitar. Shortly after beginning guitar lessons at the local YWCA, he began converting guitar chords to piano, and thus began a life long love for playing piano. Influenced by Jerry Lewis' “Great Balls of Fireâ€, he knew that's what he wanted to do. Also discovering the 70's great piano star, Elton John, Ronnie taught himself how to play piano and sing by listening to these great records. Soon, he would effortlessly play the classics that had musically enlightened him.
Moving to Nashville at age 22, he began working and playing with various local musicians and singers. His first important music job came playing lead guitar for MCA Records recording act, The Vega Brothers, doing shows around the states. At the same time, Ronnie worked honing his songwriting skills. He soon went on to play keyboards with R&B artists like Clifford Curry and the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose. This touring experience would expand his abilities as a pianist in the areas of pop and R&B that he so cherished.
After touring for a while, Ronnie landed a job at MCA Records Nashville, where he began in promotional distribution, then moving into the A&R department working for the legendary record producer, Tony Brown. There he learned a vast wealth of knowledge about the music business as well as working with the top artists and names in the industry. He would often entertain his record company colleagues at meetings and conventions by singing and playing piano.
Ronnie decided to pursue his own writing and artist career, and left MCA in the late 90's. He began playing piano clubs around Nashville. He also appeared at private parties and benefits at such places as The Wild Boar and Leows Vanderbilt Plaza. He also has played writers nights at The Bluebird Café and Douglas Corner.
A twist of fate soon brought him together with recording artist, Elizabeth Cook. He began playing with Elizabeth, doing shows and recording sessions. She became a regular performer on the Grand Ole Opry, where Ronnie accompanied her on piano in many shows. They also appeared on national TV on the Grand Ole Opry live from the Ryman Auditorium. Ronnie played with her doing several major shows such as opening for Merle Haggard, and for her record label, Warner Bros Records. He was the pianist on her debut album. A recent highlight was a trip to Japan, where they played the famous Country Sunshine Festival in Kumamoto.
Ronnie is very diverse in many styles, particularly jazz, country and rhythm and blues. He plays an endless number of standards. Fans refer to Ronnie as “the human jukebox.†He also has a large catalogue of original compositions. Ronnie currently works in Nashville for Ten Ten Music Group, a famous independent music publishing company, where he serves as Vice President of Creative, working with such famous writers as Harley Allen, Keith Urban and Angela Kaset. He performs regularly and is involved as a writer and producer in various original music projects.
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