Ronald F. "Ronnie" Dawson (born 11 August 1939 in Dallas, Texas — 30 September 2003, Dallas) was an American rockabilly musician, although he was more popular in the United Kingdom than the United States. He was nicknamed "The Blond Bomber."
<1988 - from Ronnie Dawson, for school report>
Born in Dallas, Texas August 11,1939, moving two (2) years later to Waxahachie, Texas. After two (2) years in Waxahatchie the Dawsons moved to Corsicana, Texas where young Ronnie went into the 1st grade at the Robert E. Lee School. After a year in Corsicana, the family moved again. This time to Navarro, Texas for four (4) or five (5) years until finally moving back to Waxahachie. Ronnie said "There I remained for the rest of my school years in a typical small Texas town."
"My music really started with my family. My father was a bass fiddle player with his own western swing band and radio program back in the '30s in and around Dallas. I barely remember hearing dad on the radio, early in the mornings on radio station WRR and KRLD in Dallas."
"Later in my life I started to play the bass fiddle and guitar myself in the Assembly of God church services in Waxahachie. later in high school I formed my own group called Ronnie Dee & the D Men. After playing the usual high school hops and parties I entered the Big D Jamboree Talent Program. After winning that several times I was offered a regular spot on the show."
"After about six months a record contract was offered and I signed my first contract with Back Beat Records in Houston, Texas."
"While not performing and writing music, I've made a comfortable living singing, playing and announcing commercials for such products as Aunt Jemima and Hungry Jack."
"It's really wild at times when my work is kinda leveling off here in Texas, I have albums selling all over Europe and London, England. It's all about a style of music we did here 30 or 35 years ago called Rockabilly, R&B or Texas Rock & Roll. All very popular with the age group from about 15 to 25. These fans dress exactly like kids did here in the fifties." His first Rockabilly classic, "Rockin' Bones" (Rockin' 1), came out in 1959.
Dawson was the son of a big band leader and started working in music in his teens. He was signed to the Swan label, and made two records for them: "Hazel" (Swan 4047) and "Decided By the Angels" (Swan 4054).
Ronnie also recorded under these pseudonyms: Ronnie Dee, Commonwealth Jones (Columbia Records), and the Levee Singers in Dallas.
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.
Dawson died from throat cancer at the age of 64 in 2003.