Big Z Entertainment was created by Zena the Terror Kitty to help up and coming artists make their dreams come true. The company is run by Annie Miller. Currently the only artist on the roster is Ronny North. The company handles Ronny exclusively at this point in all aspects of his career including bookings,clinics and appearances.Ronny North has full endorsements by 37 companies and they are: Laney guitar Amplifiers,Tregan guitars (Ronny's signature guitar debuts at summer NAMM in Nashville in June 2008),Digitech,Presonus Pro Audio,SIT Strings,Celestion Speakers,Morley pedals,In Tune Guitar Picks,Monster Tone pickups (Ronny has a signature pickup)Graphtech products, Tone Pros, Draven Shoes, Levy's Leathers Straps and Gig Bags, Floyd Rose, Carvin Products,Minarik Guitars,Sick World Clothing, Zaolla cables, Femme Metale custom jewelry,Coffin Cases, Morley Pedals, TC Electronics,Light Picks, Sustainiac Infinite Sustain Devices, Wedgie products, Black Kross pedal boards, Tennessee Acoustic Guitars,Roadie Rench,Freelok products, Axetrak products, Groove Tubes, Pedalsnake custom guitar audio snakes, Guitar Wheel, Guitar Force Products,Villex electronics,AMT products,Atomic Amps,Docs Pro Plugs and Feiten Tuning Systems.Ronny regularly plays clinics and trade shows (He's playing daily at Summer NAMM in June 2008)for his sponsors and has been featured in several ad campaigns.In the summer 2008 Ronny will be playing all over. In June He'll be playing the Special Olympics and Summer NAMM in Nashville,The Del Mar Faif in July and many other shows and he'll be doing some supporting spots for some major acts along the way. Ronny is also available for sessions,song writing collaborations and tours as a sideman.Ronny can play many styles of music and has recorded on several recording sessions for some major pop stars.Besides that Ronny currently writes for Guitar Jam Daily E-Zine (www.guitarjamdaily.com ). He writes the Adventures in Guitar Column as well as the Chatting with the Pros interview column.He has interviewed Keri Kellie and Michael Angelo Batio to name a few.Ronny has also been in demand to consult with several music equipment manufactures on new gear designs. All serious inquiries contact Annie Miller from Big Z Entertainment.
Videos of Ronny North
"Permission to Land" Music Video
Ronny North and his band on Flashrock Live, December 28th, 2008:
Ronny North performing "Tomorrow is Burning" at Dream Street Live in San Diego, August 23, 2008.
Ronny North performing "Permission to Land" at the Del Mar Fair, July 6, 2008.
Quotes about Ronny North: "Ronny's one of those rare cats who can lay down a dumb rock rhythm and shred like a mother." - Michael Molenda, Guitar Player Magazine Editor-in-Chief
"Ronny North is one of the most gifted guitar players of our time. His tone, touch and approach to the instrument is simply masterful. You won't find a more dynamic guitar player with so much range in the music industry today." - Nick Friese, Guitar Jam Daily Magazine
"Ronny is truly the most unique guitarist I’ve ever heard. And Ronny is a great guy to work with.†- Jody Page, President of Stage Magic (Pedal Snake Products)
“Ronny’s got the unique ability to combine catchy melodies, fretboard pyrotechnics, and standard rock grooves and make them his own; his chops are never on display without serving the song… delightful listening.†- Rick Gagliano, Hohner Guitars/Laney Amplification Products Manager
"Ronny North is an awesome performer and he really puts his heart and soul into the shows that he does. He put on a great show at our Stand Down event for Homeless Veterans. This is one guy who supports our Troops and Veterans and gives back via his Music and performance." - George R. Smith, US Vets-Compton Case Manager
"Thank you again for coming and blessing us with your talent. The Veterans loved and so greatly appreciated it. YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" - Bromwell Reid, US Vets-Los Angeles Clinical Case Manager
Magazine Appearances
Black Book Entertainment Group Review of Church's Charity Concert for Covenant House November 1,2008
REVIEW: RONNY NORTH, INSTRUMENTAL/GUITAR VIRTUOSO
In the vein of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, Ronny North is a rare musician who is easily at-one with his
guitar onstage. Simply put, there is no telling where he ends, and the instrument begins. Ronny's playing became a
"conversation" of nuance between artist and muse. His streaming, stretching melodic passion - expressed physically,
and musically - is absolutely captivating. Within a few notes, the club was at a momentary standstill; the awe,
admiration, and enjoyment was obvious. No wonder Ronny is in a different guitar magazine nearly every month, a-flood
with endorsements, and appearing at prestigious clinics! For all of his serious onstage intensity, Ronny North,
when he emerges offstage, is an open, jovial, and friendly comedian - a lot of fun to meet!
All Access Magazine, October 16, 2008
Press Release
Besides playing tons of shows and winning the Best Male Guitarist award at the 2006 All Access Magazine Music Awards, Ronny North plays lots of trade shows and guitar clinics all over America for his many sponsors. His music gets airplay all over the world and has been used for MTV's Real World Reality Show. He also recently signed a new record deal with Eonian Records . His first release with the label is the new CD Then & Now that will be released on November 4th, 2008 and will be available and all major music chains including Best Buy. Ronny also has a new signature guitar coming out with Tregan Guitars . The Tregan Ronny North signature guitar was completely designed by Ronny and was premiered at the Summer NAMM show in Nashville in June 2008. The guitar will start shipping in the winter of 2008. Ronny also has a new Ronny North signature guitar cable coming out with Tsunami Instrument Cables.
Ronny North is Tomorrow's Guitar Hero Today.
The New Tregan Ad August 2008
Guitar Player Presents How to Play Like Stevie Ray Vaughan 2008
Premier Guitar Summer NAMM 2008
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Summer NAMM '08 - Tregan Guitars Ronny North Signature
MusicPlayer.com Summer NAMM 2008
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Metal Monthly July 2008
Listen to Ronny's interview online at www.metalmonthly.com/RonnyNorth.html !!
Metal Music Promotions.com July 2008
www.metalmusicpromotions.com
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Ronny North Interview
by Paul Tauterouff
Photo Courtesy of Karen Barrezueta - Nashville 6/21/08
Paul Tauteroff: At what age did you make the decision that you were going to be a professional musician and what (or who) inspired this?
Ronny: I actually started playing piano right around 1st grade... I really didn't dig it. My parents enrolled me in the Yamaha music school to learn to play. I eventually got kicked out for beating up an obnoxious kid next to me. (He so deserved it..LOL!!) I do wish I would have stuck with it. I still play piano to this day and have one in my living room. I can only play stuff I wrote. As for guitar, the funny thing is at first I really didn't want to play. When I was a kid, I was much more into sports football, baseball, and skateboarding.
I actually wanted to be a pro skateboarder like Tony Alva... When I was 8 or 9, my Dad made my brother and I take a few guitar lessons from a guy that lived across the street. It was totally useless and the guy really had no clue about what he was doing and we really didn't want to be there. The funny thing is that several years later when I was starting to get a name for myself, the teacher guy actually hit me up to help him make it in the music biz when I was visiting my parents' house.
NEXT!!! When I was 13, I got a KISS record for Christmas. (It was the Destroyer Album!!) Before that I had never heard of KISS... I thought it was the greatest thing and I immediately wanted to be Ace Frehley. He was my very first guitar hero. I started playing my Dad's old guitar and that spring I got a Copy Les Paul and a small solid state amp for my B-Day. On that note, that summer my Dad took the whole family to see KISS at the Forum during their Alive II tour. That was the peak of their fame...
After that I knew that's what I wanted to do...
All I did was play and then when I found out girls really dug guys that played, I was hooked!!!! I seemed to get pretty good quickly and could figure out songs pretty easily. My brother plays drums and we started jamming in our garage with various people (aka victims..). I was actually playing the Sunset Strip in Hollywood when I was 14. On that note, I'm definitely not a natural musician and have to practice constantly even to this day. I compare it to being a Pro golfer. (Something I always wanted to be!!) You have to work on it everyday to keep your chops up. A pro golfer hits up to a 1000 golf balls a day on the driving range just to keep his shots in tune.
PT: Was your family supportive of you from the very beginning or did it take a little while to convince them?
Ronny: My Dad is actually a guitar player even though he never played seriously. My mother used to play piano. My Dad was pretty supportive of my playing and would even take my brother and I to gigs before we could drive. I guess you could say it was in my blood to play. When I first started my dad insisted I take lessons. The lessons were useless. I had no desire to play "Mary had a Little Lamb" (that's what he was really teaching me..). I was obsessed with playing guitar and figured out pretty much everything on my own.
After a while my brother and I started playing in different bands with different people. He used to play with older guys. (He was 12...) His guitar player was a couple years older than I and he had all the Van Halen tapping stuff down. He would play VH songs note for note. His name was Steve James. He later went on to play in an early version of Metallica and wrote “Hit the Lightsâ€. (Metallica started out in my town.) I figured out the VH thing from seeing him do it. Once I saw it close up I knew exactly what to do. It all made sense. That's all I did was play guitar.
PT: Was there a single significant event or milestone in your career where you finally said to yourself: "Alright - I've made it!"?
Ronny: Even though I am getting a name for myself, I still don't think that I have made it. I still have a long way to go.
Getting my first endorsements and seeing myself in ads in Guitar Magazines back in the day was pretty cool. I got my first endorsements back in '94. I signed with Seymour Duncan and DR Strings the same day at Winter NAMM 2004. It was so long ago... It really has been a really long road to get here for sure.
Getting my own signature guitar from Tregan Guitars ( www.treganguitars.com ) has been a great thing. We just premiered it at Summer NAMM 2008 in Nashville and it was a big hit. The guitar will start shipping in the fall of 2008. It's been a blast working with Tregan on my new guitar. Finally a guitar company that gets me... Definitely a dream come true to see it become a reality. I will be having a few more Ronny North signature products coming out very soon. Stay tuned!
PT: Do you think it was more difficult to achieve success in California vs. some other less competitive area of the US or world?
Ronny: It really is hard everywhere but I think I was at an advantage being in LA back in the Day. Plus I got to see Van Halen and Randy Rhoads play. It really was a great scene. The only thing that was discouraging was seeing how great they were and seeing how far I still had to go in my playing. I'm still trying to get there to this day. You can always improve...
PT: What was the toughest challenge or obstacle you faced while developing your career and how did you overcome it?
Ronny: Not knowing the music biz definitely hurt my career. I was definitely taken advantage of early on and made a lot of people a lot of money and didn't see a dime myself. I also have very small hands so I have to do some things differently when I play but that also might have helped me develop a style of my own.
PT: What would you say are the most important traits a musician should possess in order become successful?
Ronny: A focus on your playing, a great business sense (Very important in today's music industry), star quality and the drive to make it. It's very tough out there and it's definitely not for everyone for sure. For better or worse, I have sacrificed everything for what I do...
PT: You have endorsement deals with some very good companies. What advice can you have offer for musicians who are seeking endorsements?
Ronny: I have been very fortunate to get the support of some great companies. I thank my lucky stars everyday that they believe in me as a player and artist. My thoughts on endorsements are that they definitely can help the up and coming player get more out there. I'm lucky enough to be able to attend trade shows all the time and meet the companies face to face.
When I got my first endorsements at Winter NAMM in '94, I had promo packs made that showed what I had done at that point with a CD and a pro shot promo pic in it. I also had a plan on the companies I was going to approach. It was really easy and I have been with Duncan since '94. We have grown together... I have found that most companies want to get their products seen in the hands of great players. If you get out there and do it and are making a name for yourself, it's a great way to get their product seen. I can go on and on about endorsements. I'm always getting offered gear from different companies and more often than not, I turn stuff down. I feel very lucky to be in my position but I will only endorse gear that I use. It's a question I get asked a lot.
PT: If you had to start your music career all over again knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?
Ronny: After learning my guitar, I would learn the biz end of things before doing anything and surround myself with only people I trust. If I would have done that at the beginning, I'm sure things would have turned out a lot differently and we'd be talking from my mansion in Malibu... LOL...
PT: What would be your single greatest bit of advice to someone considering starting a music career?
Ronny: You have to love it!!! If it's not your life, do something else and make money because chances are you're not going to playing music. That being said, it's all I know and it is my life. I couldn't imagine doing anything else. If I could do something else, I'd either be a PGA pro golfer or a pro skate boarder... I am a good golfer and skateboarder, but I definitely play guitar better... LOL... I do take my golf clubs with me when we travel sometimes. I have a great roadcase for them...
PT: If you could live your life all over again and do anything you wanted to do, would you still be a professional musician?
Ronny: Yes I would! I would just do things a little differently. Playing guitar and music is my life. I have always been a fan of music as long as I can remember. Once I started playing guitar, it all made sense. Everything in my life from 14 to present day has something to do with my guitar in some way. It's been a crazy adventure and I'm still going... Can't wait to see my new Tregan signature Ronny North guitar come out in the fall.
PT: Thanks so much for your time, Ronny. You are a true gentleman and I appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions.
Ronny: Thanks for taking the time to interview me.
Photo Courtesy of Arlene Ferrar - Special Olympics Summer Games 6/17/2008
Ronny's Bio:
Ronny North is fast becoming a Southern California guitar hero. In November 2006, he won the Best Male Guitarist award at the All Access Magazine Music awards. He also regularly gets press and airplay all over the world. Ronny has shared stages with Yngwie Malmsteen, Queensryche, George Lynch and RATT, among many others. He is endorsed by 40 different music equipment manufactures and regularly plays clinics and trade shows for them as well being featured in their ad campaigns in all the music magazines. In March 2007, Ronny was featured in Guitar Player Magazine where GP editor and chief Michael Molenda said some great things about Ronny's playing. Tregan Guitars premiered the Ronny North signature guitar at summer NAMM in Nashville in June 2008. The guitar was a big hit and will start shipping in the fall of 2008. On top of all this, he writes a few columns for Guitar Jam Daily Online. His main column is called "Adventures in Guitar with Ronny North". The column has become really popular with the readers. In the summer of 2008, Ronny will be releasing two new CD's. The first in July called Then & Now. It's a greatest hits CD of songs from Ronny's past bands with singers up to his present day instrumental project. The single off the CD is a brand new song called "Destruction of You" that features Ronny and a few of his high profile friends. It's his first release under his new deal with Eonian Records. The second release is the new instrumental CD tentatively titled Light that will be released later in the summer. Ronny is tomorrow's guitar hero today...
Modern Guitar Magazine June 2008 www.modernguitars.com
I ran into guitarist Ronny North whom I'd met at Winter NAMM 2006 in Anaheim, California. He was in a crowd watching a young kid of about five pummeling a drum kit, a bit awkwardly but the little guy was cute and into it. North's a superb guitarist and full of enthusiasm that's as infectious as it is genuine. He's now endorsing Tony Guarriello's Tregan guitars.
Ronny North with a Tregan guitar at the 2008 Summer NAMM Show. Photo by Rick Landers.
Premier Guitar Magazine ( www.premierguitar.com ) Daily News Summer NAMM 2008 Wrap Up by Joe Coffey
Ronny North fired up his new Tregan for us, as did Rob Marcello with his new Paradise guitar and Danny B. Harvey with a killer James Trussart.
Ronny North demos his Tregan
Tregan Guitars 2008 Catalogue
AMT Electronics Summer NAMM 2008 Postcard
Buzz Feiten Ad in Guitar World Magazine, June 2008 Issue
Ronny North in Music Connection Magazine, 5/12/08 to 5/31/08 Issue
Tregan Ad in MMR Magazine, Summer NAMM 2008 Issue
Tregan Ad in Up Beat Magazine, Summer NAMM 2008 Issue
From Premiere Magazine, June 2008 Issue
Summer NAMM Preview: New Guitars from Ibanez, Tregan
by Premier GuitarRumors of an Ibanez reissue, plus a Ronny North Signature Guitar from Tregan
Nashville, TN(May 23, 2008) -- With less than a month until Summer NAMM, news is starting to pour out of Nashville. First up, we have it on good authority that Ibanez is planning to roll out a high-end re-issue in the RG family. Though that's about all we have to share at the moment, we'll keep you updated as the details come in, and look for videos with Ibanez from the Summer NAMM floor.
Confirmed for June is the Ronny North Signature Guitar from Tregan Guitars. The long-time Southern California instrumental rocker chose Tregan Guitars to create his signature guitar due to the company's reputation for exciting new designs and reasonably-priced quality instruments, along with luthier Greg Back’s ability to tweak a guitar to fit the player perfectly.
With its lightweight body, super fast neck and great looks, the guitar will offer features unheard of on guitars in its price range, including an original Floyd Rose Tremolo, Buzz Feiten tuning system and custom Ronny North Monster Tone pickups hand-wound in the USA by Performance Labs. The guitar will also feature a mahogany body with a maple cap and flame maple top, and a bolt on maple neck with a birds-eye maple fretboard and custom inlays. The pickups have been custom-designed for Ronny North’s Signature guitar and offer the perfect blend of tones so each note rings out true and clear. MSRP is yet to be determined.
Ronny North will be demonstrating his signature guitar in the T. G., Inc. booth #1436 at this year’s Summer NAMM. Also Demonstrating Tregan Guitars in TGI’s booth will be Flash Bathory and Skunk from Quartershackle. For more information, visit treganguitars.com , ronnynorth.com , and gregbackguitars.com .
Remember, Summer NAMM is from June 20-22, and we'll be there bringing you ongoing coverage of everything new.
Flash Magazine, March 2008 - Issue #227
Fireworks Magazine, Mar/Apr 2008 - Issue #31
From MelodicRock.com , Wednesday, February 27, 2008:
FIREWORKS MAGAZINE #31 - MR SHOWCASE OPEN:
The hard copy of Fireworks Magazine #31 has sold out! Yes indeed... The Fireworks office is fresh out of copies, but if you would still like a copy, please search the stands at Borders stores in UK as well as specialist retailers www.destinyrecords.uk.com or www.aorheaven.com .
Or....even better - purchase the Digital PDF version right here...right now!
FW31 PDF Online Version is the same as the print version - 96 pages, including interviews with the
following: Helloween, WASP, Dee Snider, Doro Pesch, Ted Poley, Gamma Ray, The Poodles, Work of Art, Bobby
Kimball, Tyla, Pagan's Mind, Richie Kotzen, Rob Rock, Rik Emmett, Big Cock, Crystal Ball, Tomy MacAlpine,
Jordan Rudess, SAHB, Epica, Xandria, Sonic Syndicate, Sieges Even, Lechery, Ronny North, Far-Less, Angel of
Eden, To-Mera and Laura Kaye.
Also included via MP3 (@192.kbps) is the following tracks:
Catz N' Clawz - 1. Shauna Young - Given Enough, 2. Tarja – Ciaran's Well, 3. Jaime Kyle – World Of Crazy,
4. Imperia - Norway, 5. Glitzy Glow - Black & Sunny Day, 6. Sofia - Hangover, 7. Xandria - Save My Life, 8. Kelly
Padrick - Sometimes, 9. Eilera - Fusion, 10. Vanity Ink - Someone Else, 11. Rott - Out Of Time, 12. Toni Rowland -
I'll Be Waiting, 13. Clandestine - My Lord, 14. Skytah - Gypsy Mentality, 15. Barbe-q-barbies - Escort, 16. Vice
Squad - Voice Of The People, 17. Blind Shot - Haunted Heart, 18. Alexx Calise - Give It To Me, 19. Mystic Jayyd -
Girls Night Out, 20. Jaded – Lies.
The Rock Disk - 1. House of Lords – Come To My Kingdom, 2. Last Autumn's Dream – My Alibi, 3. Avantasia – Shelter From the Rain, 4. Draconia - Seasons Apart, 5. Work of Art – Why Do I, 6. Laura Kaye – Under a Cloudless Sky, 7. Circular Logik – Welcome Home, 8. Brant Pethick – It's Your Fight, 9. Angel of Eden – The End of Never, 10. Atrocity – Smalltown Boy, 11. Ronny North – A Day in the Moment, 12. P:O:B: – Promises, 13. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Poetic Pitbull Revelations, 14. S.E.X. Department – Revenge of Vampires, 15. Manzana - Falling to Pieces, 16. Vindictiv – Caesar's Commentaries.
The Roll Disk - 1. Leverage – Stormchild, 2. Lechery – Your Fate, 3. Sandalinas – Fly to the Sun, 4. Glyder – 'Dark Meets Light', 5. Biloxi – Here Alone, 6. Sieges Even – Eyes Wide Open, 7. Overdrive – Chasing Highways, 8. To-Mera – Inside the Hourglass, 9. Redline – King of the Mountain, 10. Mattson – This Is Our Time, 11. Arthemis – Angels in Black, 12. 3 Wishes – Two Young Hearts, 13. Madron – Ever Remember, 14. The Bonesmen – It's All Right, 15. Three Quarter Stone – Full Moon, 16. Alestorm - Captain Morgan's Revenge.
Music Connection Magazine 12/7/07 through 1/6/08
As the music industry continues to morph, and the internet looms larger every day with independent artists seeking
success on their own, the number of Southern California signings is slightly down from last year. Music Connection
received reports of just over 60 signings in 2007. It should be noted that responses to our quest -- especially from
the majors -- were notably subdued this year. Once again, we can't help but notice that the majority of signings
were indie deals. Additionally, the same factors that generally get acts signed were in play: driving ambition,
great songs, the right connections, and a strong live show.
Ronny North
Zoomoozik
A&R reps: Dan Behlman
Dan Dehlman contacted North after watching him for some time. Following a conversation about the label and North’s needs, North decided to get on board. The label sells music almost exclusively online, which North be-lieves is the future. His first label recording was a Christmas song, “A Day in The Momentâ€, released on Nov. 10, 2007.
Quotes about Ronny North"Ronny's one of those rare cats who can lay down a dumb rock rhythm and shred like a mother." - Michael Molenda, Guitar Player Magazine Editor-in-Chief
"Ronny North is one of the most gifted guitar players of our time. His tone, touch and approach to the instrument is simply masterful. You won't find a more dynamic guitar player with so much range in the music industry today." - Nick Friese, Guitar Jam Daily Magazine
"Ronny is truly the most unique guitarist I’ve ever heard. And Ronny is a great guy to work with.†- Jody Page, president of Stage Magic (Pedal Snake Products)
“Ronny’s got the unique ability to combine catchy melodies, fretboard pyrotechnics, and standard rock grooves and make them his own; his chops are never on display without serving the song… delightful listening.†- Rick Gagliano, Hohner Guitars/Laney Amplification Products Manager
CDs by Ronny North:
Going Pysko released January of 2006 on NBN Records.
DISCONNECTED released May of 2007 on NBN Records.
Videos of Ronny North:
Ronny at his Rock and Roll Emporium signing in Huntington Beach in March 2007.
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Ronny and Grant Austin Taylor at the Heart of Gold Charity Event at the Knitting Factory in August, 2007.
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