Ronnie Dawson ~ 1996

Ronnie Dawson,"The Blond Bomber," was an ace Rock-a-billy artist. Born in Dallas, 1939,he grew up in Waxahachie, a typical small Texas town. He played the bass fiddle and guitar in the Assembly of God church in Waxahachie and later formed his own group called Ronnie Dee & the D Men.He won the Big D Jamboree Talent Program several times and was offered a regular spot on the show.

He was offered a contract with Dick Clark's Swan Records just as the payola scandal broke. As a studio musician, he can be heard playing drums on the hit records "Hey! Baby" by Bruce Channel and "Hey Paula" by Paul and Paula. Although he never made it big in the 50's, he made a comfortable living writing and playing in commercials for Aunt Jamima, Hungary Jack, Jaxx Beer and CiCi's Pizza.

Although he remained little-known in his native country, Dawson was hailed as a rock pioneer in England. His mid-'80s rediscovery led to Dawson's name and songs winding up in a variety of places. In 1995, Dawson made a triumphant appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

In 2002, Dawson was diagnosed with throat cancer and fans in the U.S. and abroad held benefit concerts to help him pay for medical costs. The Blonde Bomber finally succumbed on September 30, 2003. He was 64.


Here Ronnie Talks about his background and rocks out!