The first time I laid eyes on Ron was 1965. I was a shaggy headed teenager living in San Diego. My band was playing at a teen club that was nestled in one end of a bowling alley complex. At the other end stood a hot 21 and up club called the Redcoat Inn. One night during a break, I strolled down to check them out. A group named ‘The Misfits’ were rockin’ the place. I couldn’t see inside but they sounded great&I was impressed! A week later, armed with my older brother’s driver’s license, I managed to slide past the doorman to actually view the band. The place was packed, the walls were sweating, and the music was pumped up. The rhythm guitar player/ lead singer was Bob Mosley, who later switched to bass and helped form ‘Moby Grape’. Behind the drums sat Ron&all confident and obviously enjoying himself. They were snarling their way through the harmonies of a blues-rock number and looking cocky as hell doing it. Yeah, ‘The Misfits’ were cool&cool enough to land the gig to open for ‘The Rolling Stones’ when they came to town. THAT ROCKED!!!

In 1970 Ron went on to join ‘Jamul’, (pronounce huh-mool), which was one of a few San Diego bands to enjoy national recognition. Through the power of Bob Desnoyers’ hard rockin’ version of ‘Tobacco Road’, and the Armstrong penned ‘Sunrise Over Jamul’, which was Ron’s first recorded lead vocal, the band received enough airplay and sales to reach #93 in Billboard’s top selling albums. It is well know among collectors today.

Rock n’ Roll Bands don’t last forever, and the members of ‘Jamul’ went their separate ways. Ron slid off his drum stool and stepped back behind his beloved piano. Whether he was on piano or drums, a distinctive sound was something that just came natural to him. People can practice forever and never achieve it. Since those days He has played with a few bands including the well known Cajun artist Joel Sonnier. He enjoyed playing live music but eventually became burnt out on the club scene. He worked days, saved money and bought recording equipment. Living like a hermit in the hills just outside of Los Angeles, with the help of friends Ron honed his production skills. He continued working on his music and has now produced his first album. What he loves most though is playing live and is very excited about his latest rehearsals. “I feel like a 21 year old kid&it’s all new, exciting and fun”.

The man has a unique vocal and keyboard style. He stands, closes his eyes and leads his guitar dominated band on keyboards. He sings as if he’s narrating a story. He gets so lost in it that it surfaces as a soulful melody as his life pours out before you in a song. Listen to his new CD release, ‘Just Around The Bend’, and you can journey with him in the Oregon woods on the title track. You can hang out with Ron and his pals as they witness a gal from Newhall, CA. who leaves nothing to their imagination as she enters and wins an exotic dance contest&’Oh Suzie’. In ‘Fences’ he expresses his inability to find open land without fences. Ron takes you along with him and his dog, ‘Leroy’, for a drive in his old Chevy truck through San Diego County. When he covers tunes like Chuck Berry’s ‘You Can’t Catch Me’ or Bob Dylan’s ‘Just Like A Woman’, he makes the melody his own as he takes the song somewhere it’s never been before.

Ron Armstrong speaks and writes the truth. His music and lyrics establish an honest down home feeling that is hard to come by these days. He is what he is that’s all he is& that’s genuine& and that’s pure gold to me!

Jerry Raney