b.14th December 1951, Camden, Alabama, U.S.A.
Ronnie McNeir was raised in Pontiac, Michigan, where he first took a keen interest in the Motown Sound.
As a child he was a gifted basketball player, however, this interest was soon curtailed following a car accident.
Ronnie took up the piano, which he became proficient with by the age of fourteen.
He won a talent contest in 1966 which led to a deal and his first 45, atune called 'Sitting In My Class'.
The song was later to become a huge Northern Soul hit.
Ronnie conceived a personal approach to constructing his sound over the course of several albums (and one excellent EP).
He relocated to Los Angeles in 1971, where he struck up a relationship with Rene Moore and joined the local choir.
Here he met Kim Weston, who employed Ronnie as her Musical Director.
It was Kim Weston who helped Ronnie land his first record deal at RCA Records.
He, initially, released one album on RCA in 1972 entitled 'Ronnie McNeir', followed by an album on Prodigal 1975, also entitled 'Ronnie McNeir', containing the much sought after 'I'm Your Lover'.
There were tracks recorded, after an initial release on Motown, for a second album for the label, but they were never released.
Around this time, McNeir recorded two tracks with The Four Tops for their 1977 ABC album, 'The Show Must Go On'.
He later became The Four Tops' musical director.
McNeir appears on the Tops' 1995 Motown album, 'Christmas Here With You'.
In 1984, a 4-song EP produced by Horizon Productions was released by Capitol.
'The Ronnie McNeir Experience' featured a Rene (Moore) & Angela (Winbush) penned song, 'Come On Be With Me', as its first single.
The popular single and album entered the Billboard's charts.
In 1985, McNeir made it to the upper half of Billboard's R & B charts as the producer, composer of 'I Couldn't Believe It' (remixed by Nick Martinelli), a hit for former Temptations David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks, who recorded as Ruffin & Kendricks for RCA.
McNeir's a prolific songwriter, session musician, vocalist and producer appearing on albums by Rance Allen (Fantasy), Dramatics vocalist L.J. Reynolds (Capitol), Carrie Lucas' version of 'Hello Stranger' from 'Horsing Around' (Solar / RCA), David Ruffin's 'Gentleman Ruffin' (Warner Bros), Bobby Womack's 'Caught Up In The Middle' from his 'Pieces' album among others.
Ronnie McNeir also recorded 'Good Side Of Your Love' on Tortoise International which is popular on the Northern Soul Scene.
The popularity of his albums, particularly his RCA debut and the Prodigal release has led to concerts dates in the U.K. for McNeir.
In 1996, a compilation, 'The Very Best of Ronnie McNeir' was released.
In 2002, Ronnie toured the U.K.,as part of the line-up of the Four Tops, covering for Levi Stubbs who was unwell at the time.
2007 saw a return to solo recording with the release of 'Ronnie Mac and Company'.
Albums:
Ronnie McNeir (RCA 1972)
Ronnie McNeir (Prodigal 1975)
Love's Comin' Down (Motown 1976)
Ronnie McNeir Experience (Capitol 1984)
Love Suspect (Setting Sun 1986)
Life & Love (Expansion 1989)
Rare McNeir (About Time 1996)
Down In The Neighbourhood (Expansion 1997)
The Best Of Ronnie McNeir (Expansion 2002)
Ronnie Mac and Company (Lewis R. McNeir 2007)
