Mick Ronson
As David Bowie's guitarist, his searing, melodic riffs provided the sonic architecture for the Ziggy Stardust era.
1946–1993 (age 47)·English musician·Birthday: May 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mick Ronson was the solid, unflashy Yorkshireman who helped shape rock's most flamboyant persona. A classically trained musician from Hull, he brought a composer's ear and a raw, powerful guitar sound to David Bowie's band, the Spiders from Mars. On stage, he was the crucial counterpoint to Bowie's alien rock star Ziggy Stardust, his blond hair and fierce solos making him a star in his own right. It was Ronson's arrangements and piano work that gave anthems like 'Life on Mars?' their sweeping, cinematic quality. After the Spiders disbanded, he became a sought-after collaborator, working extensively with Ian Hunter and contributing to landmark albums by Lou Reed and Bob Dylan. Though his time in the spotlight was brief, his tasteful, muscular playing—a bridge between hard rock and glam theatrics—left a profound imprint on the sound of the 1970s.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Mick was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Mick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1993Died at 47
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
Key Achievements
- Played lead guitar and arranged strings on David Bowie's seminal albums 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' (1972) and 'Aladdin Sane' (1973).
- Co-produced and played guitar on Lou Reed's landmark album 'Transformer,' including the iconic riff on 'Walk on the Wild Side.'
- Led his own band, Mick Ronson's Hunter-Ronson Band, and released several solo albums.
- Toured and recorded extensively with Mott the Hoople's frontman Ian Hunter throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Did You Know?
He was a trained violinist and pianist, studying at Hull School of Music.
Ronson worked as a parks gardener for the Hull City Council before his music career took off.
He played the memorable guitar solo on Morrissey's 1992 single 'You're the One for Me, Fatty.'
David Bowie's song 'Lady Grinning Soul' from 'Aladdin Sane' is reportedly a tribute to Ronson's piano playing.
“The arrangement is everything; you build the frame so the painting can shine.”
