Ronnie Dyson
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Dyson was an American
singer and actor
.
, Dyson grew up in Brooklyn
, New York
where he sang in church choirs. At just 18 years of age, he won lead part in the Broadway
production of Hair
debuting in New York in 1968. Dyson became an iconic voice
of the 1960s with the lead vocal in the show's anthem
of the hippie
era "Aquarius". It is Dyson's voice leading off the song and opening the show with the famous lyric
"When the Moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars".
Dyson also appeared in the 1969 film
, Putney Swope
.
After Hair, Dyson pursued his stage career with a role in Salvation
in 1970. His recording
of a song
from the Salvation score "(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?", successfully launched his record career, breaking into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100
chart
, peaking at #8 in 1970. The follow-up, "I Don't Wanna Cry" was a strong R&B seller, climbing to #9.
In 1971, "When You Get Right Down To It" (a cover version
of the 1970 hit for The Delfonics
), made the US charts, and reached #34 in the UK Singles Chart
in December that year.
His record company, Columbia Records
then sent him to Philadelphia in 1973 to be produced by Thom Bell
, one of the premier producers of the day, for several tracks. Bell's highly orchestrated style suited Dyson with hits including "One Man Band", which reached #28 on the Hot 100 and #15 on the R&B chart, and "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" (#60 pop, #29 R&B).
Dyson remained with Columbia working with top-line producers for another three albums, The More You Do It (1976), Love in All Flavors(1977) and If The Shoe Fits (1979). The title track of the first of the three resulted in one of the singer's biggest-selling records, reaching #6 R&B. It was produced by Chuck Jackson
and Marvin Yancy, who had been responsible for a series of hits with Natalie Cole
.
Dyson then signed with Atlantic subsidiary, Cotillion
in 1981 for two albums and several singles which were only moderately successful. His acting and singing career had begun to stall in the late 1970s due to ill health and it was in 1983 that Dyson appeared on the R&B chart for the last time on Cotillion with "All Over Your Face
". His final solo recording
was "See the Clown" in 1990.
Dyson died at the age of 40 from heart failure in late 1990, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
A posthumous release on Society Hill Records appeared in 1991, when a duet
with Vicki Austin, "Are We So Far Apart (We Can't Talk Anymore)" dented the Billboard R&B chart, reaching #79 during a five week run.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Career
Born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Dyson grew up in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he sang in church choirs. At just 18 years of age, he won lead part in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
debuting in New York in 1968. Dyson became an iconic voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
of the 1960s with the lead vocal in the show's anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
of the hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
era "Aquarius". It is Dyson's voice leading off the song and opening the show with the famous lyric
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
"When the Moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars".
Dyson also appeared in the 1969 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Putney Swope
Putney Swope
Putney Swope, a 1969 film written and directed by Robert Downey Sr. and starring Arnold Johnson as Swope, is a comedy satirizing the advertising world, the portrayal of race in Hollywood films, the white power structure, and nature of corporate corruption....
.
After Hair, Dyson pursued his stage career with a role in Salvation
Salvation (musical)
Salvation was a 1969 Off-Broadway rock musical with music, lyrics, and book by Peter Link & C.C. Courtney. It opened on September 24, 1969 at the Jan Hus Playhouse and ending on April 19, 1970 after 239 performances.-Production:...
in 1970. His recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
from the Salvation score "(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?", successfully launched his record career, breaking into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, peaking at #8 in 1970. The follow-up, "I Don't Wanna Cry" was a strong R&B seller, climbing to #9.
In 1971, "When You Get Right Down To It" (a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the 1970 hit for The Delfonics
The Delfonics
The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...
), made the US charts, and reached #34 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in December that year.
His record company, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
then sent him to Philadelphia in 1973 to be produced by Thom Bell
Thom Bell
Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:...
, one of the premier producers of the day, for several tracks. Bell's highly orchestrated style suited Dyson with hits including "One Man Band", which reached #28 on the Hot 100 and #15 on the R&B chart, and "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" (#60 pop, #29 R&B).
Dyson remained with Columbia working with top-line producers for another three albums, The More You Do It (1976), Love in All Flavors(1977) and If The Shoe Fits (1979). The title track of the first of the three resulted in one of the singer's biggest-selling records, reaching #6 R&B. It was produced by Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
and Marvin Yancy, who had been responsible for a series of hits with Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
.
Dyson then signed with Atlantic subsidiary, Cotillion
Cotillion Records
Cotillion Records was a subsidiary of Atlantic Records and was active from 1968 through 1985. The label was originally formed as an outlet for blues and deep Southern soul; its first single, Otis Clay's version of "She's About A Mover", reached the R&B charts. Cotillion's catalog quickly expanded...
in 1981 for two albums and several singles which were only moderately successful. His acting and singing career had begun to stall in the late 1970s due to ill health and it was in 1983 that Dyson appeared on the R&B chart for the last time on Cotillion with "All Over Your Face
All Over Your Face
"All Over Your Face" is a song recorded by American singer Ronnie Dyson. The song, written and produced by Butch Ingram, was released in 1983 by Cotillion...
". His final solo recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
was "See the Clown" in 1990.
Dyson died at the age of 40 from heart failure in late 1990, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
A posthumous release on Society Hill Records appeared in 1991, when a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Vicki Austin, "Are We So Far Apart (We Can't Talk Anymore)" dented the Billboard R&B chart, reaching #79 during a five week run.
Chart singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1970 | "(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?" | 8 | 9 | - |
| "I Don't Wanna Cry" | 50 | 9 | - | |
| 1971 | "When You Get Right Down To It" | 94 | 37 | 34 |
| 1973 | "One Man Band (Plays All Alone)" | 28 | 15 | - |
| "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" | 60 | 29 | - | |
| 1974 | "We Can Make It Last Forever" | - | 62 | - |
| 1976 | "The More You Do It (The More I Like It Done To Me)" | 62 | 6 | - |
| "(I Like Being) Close To You" | - | 75 | - | |
| 1977 | "Don't Be Afraid" | - | 30 | - |
| 1978 | "Ain't Nothing Wrong" | - | 77 | - |
| 1982 | "Heart To Heart" / "Bring It On Home" |
- | 57 / 66 | - |
| 1983 | "All Over Your Face" | - | 23 | - |
| 1991 | "Are We So Far Apart (We Can't Talk Anymore)" | - | 79 | - |
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||||||
| 1970 | (If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You? | 55 | 12 | Columbia Records Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
|||
| 1973 | One Man Band One Man Band (Ronnie Dyson album) -Track listing:#One Man Band - 3:38#I Think I'll Tell Her - 4:04#Just Don't Want To Be Lonely - 3:11 #Give In To Love - 4:51... |
132 | 34 | ||||
| 1976 | The More You Do It The More You Do It -Track listing:All songs written by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy except where noted.#A Song For You - 4:53 #Close To You 2:55 #The More You Do It 3:10 #You Set My Sprits Free 6:48 #You And Me 3:12... |
— | 30 | ||||
| 1977 | Love In All Flavors | — | 45 | ||||
| 1979 | If The Shoe Fits | — | — | ||||
| 1982 | Phase 2 | — | — | Cotillion Records Cotillion Records Cotillion Records was a subsidiary of Atlantic Records and was active from 1968 through 1985. The label was originally formed as an outlet for blues and deep Southern soul; its first single, Otis Clay's version of "She's About A Mover", reached the R&B charts. Cotillion's catalog quickly expanded... |
|||
| 1983 | Brand New Day | — | 53 | ||||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||||
See also
- List of disco artists
- List of Soul Train episodes (seasons 1-9)
- List of Soul Train episodes (seasons 10-19)
External links
- Allbutforgottenoldies.net
- [ Allmusic discography - Billboard charting singles info]