There's something elegant, strange and haunting about the face of Mick Ronson. If he were an actor, he'd probably give William Fitchner a run for his money. His career as a musician went pretty well though, and his collaborations with Ian Hunter, Van Morrison, Roger Daltrey, Lou Reed (he co-produced Transformer), Morrissey (he produced Your Arsenal), John Mellencamp (he played the memorable riff on Jack and Diane) and of course David Bowie are legendary – especially with Bowie, with whom he helped shape the direction of music once he got a big break with the new band. In this article, a local paper excitedly gushes about the local boy done good:
“It will be quite a weekend for Michael, who lives at 8, Milford-grove, Hull, and who today says “goodbye” to his work with Hull Parks Department and tomorrow announces his engagement to 16-year-old Denise Irvin, who, like Michael, lives on Greatfield Estate – at 32, Bexhill-close.“
He's also the guy that got a simulated bj from the great white duke on stage. The official website has an extensive photo gallery for you to peruse; from his early days of long, angel soft hair glory, to his spiders from mars spikes, to his unbuttoned days of relaxation with Ian Hunter.
He was quite a stylish character who pulled off the daring move of being part of the fist band in Hull to have short hair in 1964 with help from those intense eyes deep set into a manly face. He seems like he was genuinely admired by everyone in the industry and his battle with cancer ended tragically early at age 46 in 1993. Also, he is not the father of DJ and Lindsay lover Samantha, so no need to hold his name against him.
But what do you think?