Rockabilly legend Ronnie Haig has passed away at age 85. Hailing from Indiana, Ronnie released a number of enjoyable singles which are still sought after by collectors of vintage rock and rockabilly around the world. Ronnie was also a participant of the 1980s rockabilly revival and highly regarded as a live performer. His unique abilities as a guitar player made him a competent rhythm and lead guitarist. In the prime of his career, Ronnie toured with artists such as Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers, Don Gibson and Ricky Nelson. He is best known for his 1958 single 'Don't You Hear Me Calling, Baby', after performing with a group called The Five Stars. This band had releases on Kernel, Dot Records, Kernel, Note and Hunt. Ronnie was influenced by gospel, country music and doo wop, but created his own unique interpretation of rock which blended rhythm and blues with those elements. Ronnie with his vintage gold 1956 Gibson ES-295 which he used throughout his entire music career. It's been said that only 50 of this model were made until the reissue made by Gibson. 'Don't You Hear Me Calling Baby' was originally recorded for the Indianapolis-based Note Records in the Chicago Chess studio with legendary jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. Ronnie used to joke with his audiences that he was the only white guy in the studio during that session. ABC-Paramount took over the distribution from Note Records. In support of this record, Ronnie an appeared on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand," in addition to performing with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars. Next, Ronnie recorded a follow-up single with 'Rockin' With Rhythm and Blues' also in the Chess studio. This single received airplay at first, but was banned when a listener suggested that the end of the recording contained the f-word. If not for the controversy, ABC-Paramount probably could've made this single a huge hit. In 1961, Ronnie began serving in the army for three years. After being discharged, Ronnie was seemingly disheartened by the changes in the music landscape. He retired from the music business and pursued a career in insurance until the 1980s, when the international rockabilly revival generated new interest in the music with new generations of fans collecting his records and attending his concerts. Ronnie recorded several "comeback" studio albums and remained active into the 2000s. In addition to his secular music, Ronnie also recorded gospel music. In 1994, Get Hip Archive Series (Get Hip Recordings is their parent label) released an enjoyable single reissue of 'Hey Little Baby' and 'Midnight Madness.'
The late sax legend Jimmy Coe (1921-2004) backed Ronnie Haig on several sessions at Chess Studios and contributed to the high energy sound of these timeless recordings. Like Haig, Coe was also from Indiana. Coe recorded and toured with a wide range of artists including Charlie Parker, Roy Hamilton, Tiny Bradshaw, Wes Montgomery and Aretha Franklin.
There are so few of these guys left it is a shame when another one of them inevitably passes. I will admit that I was unfamiliar with him, so your post led me to track him down mostly on YouTube. Definitely some good stuff there. I wish I could get a CD of the early stuff but it looks like they’re kind of hard to find right now. That’s crazy about the “F-word” problem in his song, “Don't You Hear Me Calling, Baby”. Not sure what he was singing at the end but can understand why he had a problem.
Definitely. Each of us should contact either Bear Family or Atomicat/Richard Weize Archives to see about releasing a 1CD comp focusing on Ronnie's 50s and early 60s output. Those labels have been focusing their attention on vintage rockabilly artists, which makes this entirely possible. Contact Atomicat: Kontaktformular Contact Bear Family: Contact | Bear Family Records
Thank you for this info. I was not familiar with Ronnie but now I am. I have broadcast for 50+ years on KPOO FM in San Francisco. I am on every monday morning 5 am to 9 am west coast. kpoo.com I am looking forward to playing Ronnie's music tomorrow. I am always interested in music related subjects, interviews, etc. My email is [email protected]
