Ron Pope (born July 23, 1983) is an American pop and rock singer-songwriter. He was raised in Marietta, Georgia, United States,[1] and is currently based in New York City. In 2005, Ron Pope, along with Zach Berkman, wrote the internet hit, "A Drop In The Ocean." From the success of that song, Pope went on to pursue a career as a solo artist. His music is now successful in both America and internationally.
Pope will release a new album in early 2012.
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Ronald Michael Pope was raised in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta. There, he attended East Cobb Middle School and Joseph Wheeler High School.[2] He began playing the guitar at an early age, but became more serious about his hobby in music while in high school where he formed various bands.
After high school, he attended Rutgers University for two years to play baseball.[3] After a career-ending injury, he transferred to New York University in New York City in 2003 to pursue his other passion, music. After joining a songwriting circle with fellow students, he met friends and future band mates, Zach Berkman and Paul Hammer. From there, they created The District with Chris Kienel, Will Frish, and Mike Clifford. Achieving success as a college band on the NYU campus, the band toured America for two years and recorded three albums - The District, The District Does Christmas, and Last Call. In December 2010, The District reunited to record "Wellfleet"[4]
In March 2008, Pope performed on MTV's TRL as a featured up and coming artist.[5] Independently, he wrote, produced, and released four full-length albums - Daylight (2008), The Bedroom Demos (2009), Goodbye, Goodnight (2009), and Hello, Love (2009).
In May 2009, Pope signed a recording contract with major record label, Universal Republic.[6][7] After spending a year under Universal Republic and releasing two singles - "A Drop In the Ocean" and "I Believe", he left the label to produce his music independently. He has since written, produced, and released two albums, The New England Sessions (2009) and Whatever It Takes (2010). He also created the project 26 Tuesdays, in which he released a new, previously unreleased single to his fans each week (July–December 2011).
In September 2011, Pope recorded his latest album at The Magic Shop studio in SoHo (New York City). The album, 'Atlanta,' will be released early in 2012.
In March 2011, Pope went on a nine-week tour across the United States to promote the release of Whatever It Takes. The tour was supported by Ari Herstand and Zach Berkman. The second and final portion of the tour ended in New York City on November 20, 2011. This part of the tour was supported by Alexis Babini and Zach Berkman.
In February 2012, Pope will go on his first tour outside of the US. The UK tour includes dates in London, Manchester, and Nottingham, England.[8][9]
Pope performed on MTV’s TRL in March 2008. He has had two songs placed on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance[10] in both Canada and the US. He was featured in the season three premiere of The Vampire Diaries on The CW. "A Drop In the Ocean" was performed on the UK television show, Made in Chelsea, by the British reality star, Caggie Dunlop. "A Drop In the Ocean" was also performed in Season 4 of 90210
Pope has received various reviews complimenting both his songwriting and guitar playing. "…he is a sentimentalist who can rip a guitar to shreds" wrote one critic.[11] Another noted, "This fresh talent, purely through word of mouth, is already catching the attention of many".[12] Another stated, "the mesmerizing words that softly pour out of his mouth are powerful enough to silence even the loudest crowds at any given venue."[13]
| Album | Year of release |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 2008 |
| The Bedroom Demos | 2009 |
| Goodbye, Goodnight | 2009 |
| Hello, Love | 2009 |
| The New England Sessions | 2010 |
| Ron Pope Live & Unplugged in New York | 2010 |
| Whatever It Takes | 2011 |