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Some Liner Notes, Taken from the Jacket of the Album "Romance with Ronnie"
In recent years singers have been instrumental in bringing on and sustaining musical styles. But in the 40’s just the reverse was true. The swing bands of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and Artie Shaw set down the musical style of the day, and the vocalists sang and adapted themselves to fit it. Since the 40’s was the band era, vocalists sang mostly ballads, so as not to break up the constant flow of danceable music. The result was a school of crooners who sang sweet and mellow, with little deviation from the way the author penned the original melody line. Some of our top vocalists, such as Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, and Perry Como, came out of this era with a musical foundation which can never be reconstructed for our younger vocalists of today.
Ronnie Deauville is one of those lucky singers whose fledgling years were spent singing with some of our greatest bands. Ronnie started with Glenn Gray and his Casalomas and ended with Tommy Dorsey’s great band, following which he struck out permanently as a single. In between these two giants, Ronnie sang with Glenn Miller, Ray Anthony, and Jerry Gray. Like Sinatra and Como, Ronnie has updated his interpretation of tunes to fit today’s pop market. Still Like the two, he keeps overtones of his by-gone band days.
It was during his association with Ray Anthony that he recorded one of his biggest hit tunes, "Gloria," though he left Anthony and was singing with Glenn Miller’s band when the record became a hit. "Gloria," not only established Ronnie, but was a forerunner for the type of song Ronnie was to sing. His songs must impart a story to the listener and cannot just be a conglomeration of gimmick works and weird sounds.
Ronnie Deauville was born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Southern California.
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He first became interested in singing while he was in the Marine Air Corps during World War 2. In off hours he would listen to his favorite band—Tommy Dorsey — and dream of someday singing with T.D. During a convalescence period at a service hospital, Ronnie began singing along to Dorsey records and spent most of his time improving his voice. Once back in civilian clothes Ronnie got his first job singing in an oleo in a small theater play in Hollywood. Here he was discovered by a Paramount Pictures talent scout who go him his first band job with Glenn Gray. For the next few years, Ronnie worked with all the great bands of the day. Later, when he struck out on his own, he was much sought after for personal appearances, and sang on such shows as TV’s Ted Mack Family Hour, Al Pearce Show, and The Colgate Comedy Hour, and the Jo Stafford radio show. He also played many of the top nightclubs in the country, including the Mocambo, Los Angeles; El Mirador, Palm Springs; and Blinstraub’s Boston.
In 1956 Ronnie was in a tragic automobile accident which left him paralyzed from the neck down. His chance of ever singing again were thought to be nil, since he had virtually no breath control. But six months later, after arduous practicing, Ronnie made his comeback on a local TV show in Los Angeles on the same bill with Pearl Bailey. The show restored his confidence, and once again Ronnie began thinking seriously of a singing career.
Soon after this episode, Ralph Edwards did Ronnie's story on his “This Is Your Life” TV show. Overnight, after years of singing behind him, Ronnie became a sensation. He has been kept busy since with TV (Steve Allen, Dave Garroway, Jack Paar, Jerry Lewis, etc.), motion picture dubbing for 20th Century-Fox, Warner Brothers, and Allied Artists, and recording.
He likes to be called a "baritone from the Tommy Dorsey school of ballad singing," but, may we add, with a contemporary approach.
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Carol Burnett also went to Le Conte.
