Mark Ronson

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Mark Ronson is a British born but New York based DJ and producer who co-founded Allido Records. He is the son of socialite/writer Ann Dexter-Jones and real estate mogul Laurence Ronson. His stepfather is Mick Jones from Foreigner. He is also the older brother of singer and DJ Samantha Ronson and clothing designer Charlotte Ronson.

[edit] Biography

Ronson grew up hanging out with rock stars Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen (and the rock offspring like Sean Lennon) at his family's Central Park West townhouse. As a teen, he was nerdy - "bookish musically" is how he puts it - the type of kid to memorize album liner notes and pore over Billboard. Attending Vassar and then New York University (NYU), Ronson became a regular at downtown hip-hop spots and made his name as a DJ on the New York club scene in 1993. He was soon one of the most respected DJs and was being called on for celebrities' private parties. Unlike most DJs, who play one type of music, or blocks of favorites, Ronson keeps clubgoers guessing what he'll drop the needle on next. He's known as much for wowing crowds with his track twists as for packing the dance floor, and he can play to diverse audiences. On occasion, Ronson will grace audiences with his excellent guitar skills.

He moved on, however, to producing music. After producing Nikka Costa's "Everybody Got Their Something," Ronson signed a record contract with Elektra Records. His first album "Here Comes the Fuzz" was released in 2003 and was a critically acclaimed success that featured artists of all genres. The most popular song from the album is the club banger "Ooh Wee" which featured Nate Dogg, Ghostface Killah, Trife Da God and Saigon.

Ronson has continued producing records for many of the top artists in the world of music. In 2004, Ronson took the next step and formed his own record label, Allido Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's J Records, along with his longtime manager Rich Kleiman.

The first artist he signed to Allido was rapper, Rhymefest, most well-known for winning the Grammy for co-writing Kanye West's "Jesus Walks." Fest's first album, "Blue Collar" was released in July 2006.

In March 2006, Ronson released a cover of Radiohead's "Just" as a single. In certain areas it gained major radio play. It was released as part of "Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads", a full Radiohead covers CD, in April. Ronson's second album, "Version", due out sometime in April, 2007, includes other covers of a diverse selection of rock & pop songs including: Kaiser Chiefs' Oh My God (featuring guest vocals from Lily Allen), Coldplay's God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Britney Spears' Toxic, and Ryan Adams' Amy. He has also been working with singers Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen producing songs for their albums.