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Ronnie Dove | |
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![]() Ronnie Dove in 1966
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Background information | |
Ronald Eugene Dove | |
Born | Herndon, Virginia, United States |
September 7, 1935
Genres | Pop, country |
Singer, songwriter, producer | |
1959-1989, 1991-present | |
Labels | Diamond Records, Decca Records, Certron Records, MCA Records, Hobby Records, Melodyland Records |
Johnny Thunder (singer) | |
Website | http://www.ronniedove.com http://ronniedovemusic.com |
Ronnie Dove (born September 7, 1935) is an American pop and country musician who had a string of hit pop records in the mid to late 1960's and several country chart records in the 70's and 80's.
Ronnie Dove, the only son of Fairfax County, Virginia police sergeant Paul S. Dove and his first wife, Catherine Pearl nee Smith Dove Rusk, was born in Herndon, Virginia, his older sister is Marjorie L. Forrester. During his stint in the Coast Guard, Dove began his singing career in the clubs of Baltimore, where he was stationed. He formed a group, The Belltones, and they played Baltimore and the East Coast for four years. In 1959, they recorded their debut single "Lover Boy" as well as a cover of the Buddy Knox hit "Party Doll" before Dove went solo with Diamond Records. His first solo single, "Sweeter Than Sugar" appeared in 1964 to no fanfare. Later that year "Say You" was released and earned Dove his first chart record. The next single, a cover of Wanda Jackson's "Right Or Wrong," put him into the Top 20. In 1965, he had 5 chart singles and after just three albums Diamond Records released a "best of" collection. His name was featured many times in both Billboard and Cashbox awards in 1965.
More hits came in 1966 and 1967 including "My Babe", "Cry", "Happy Summer Days" and others. In 1966, he began hosting a local television show in Baltimore called "The Ronnie Dove Show". It lasted for 13 episodes. Today, only 2 episodes survive. When Diamond closed in 1970, he moved, briefly, to Aubrey Mayhew's Certron Records. Shortly thereafter, he went to the independent Wrayco Records and released a Bobby Hebb cover of "Sunny". He then signed a new deal with Decca Records in 1971 and pointed his career in a more country oriented direction, scoring two minor country chart hits and an album. After this, he moved to the Motown country label Melodyland and had a top 40 country hit. During this period, he recorded two albums of country music, but neither ended up being released. Although he moved to some smaller, independent labels throughout the rest of the 1970s he still continued to record. He opened his own club in Baltimore and his fans were able to see him perform through the 1980s. He briefly revived the Diamond record label in 1987 to release a couple of singles and an album. These two singles managed to reach the lower rungs of Billboard's Country charts.
Dove quit show business in 1989 to care for his ailing mother. She passed away in 1991, and Dove resumed performing. Dove continues to perform in the Baltimore area (where he lives) and nationwide[1]. There have been several compilations issued on CD, including "The Complete Original Chart Hits: 1964-69", available from Real Gone Music.[2]
Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Label & Number | Chart positions[4] | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. AC | U.S. Country | ||||
1959 | "Lover Boy" b/w "I'll Be Around" |
Dove 1021 | - | - | - | Non-album tracks |
1961 | "Party Doll" b/w "Yes Darling, I'll Be Around" |
Decca 31288 | - | - | - | |
1962 | "Saddest Song (Of The Year)" b/w "No Greater Love" (from Right Or Wrong) |
Jalo 1406 | - | - | - | |
1964 | "Sweeter Than Sugar" b/w "I Believed In You" |
Diamond 163 | - | - | - | Right Or Wrong |
1964 | "Say You" b/w "Let Me Stay Today" (Non-album track) |
Diamond 167 | 40 | - | - | |
1964 | "Right Or Wrong" b/w "Baby, Put Your Arms Around Me" |
Diamond 173 | 14 | - | - | |
1965 | "Hello Pretty Girl" b/w "Keep It A Secret" |
Diamond 176 | 54 | - | - | |
1965 | "One Kiss For Old Times' Sake" b/w "No Greater Love" (first pressings) "Bluebird" (later pressings) (Both B-sides from Right Or Wrong) |
Diamond 179 | 14 | - | - | One Kiss For Old Times' Sake |
1965 | "A Little Bit Of Heaven" b/w "If I Live To Be A Hundred" |
Diamond 184 | 16 | 4 | - | |
1965 | "I'll Make All Your Dreams Come True" b/w "I Had To Lose You (To Find That I Need You)" (from One Kiss For Old Times' Sake) |
Diamond 188 | 21 | 2 | - | I'll Make All Your Dreams Come True |
1965 | "Kiss Away" b/w "Where In The World" (from One Kiss For Old Times' Sake) |
Diamond 191 | 25 | 5 | - | |
1965 | "When Liking Turns To Loving" b/w "I'm Learning How To Smile Again" (from I'll Make All Your Dreams Come True) |
Diamond 195 | 18 | 6 | - | The Best Of Ronnie Dove |
1966 | "Let's Start All Over Again" b/w "That Empty Feeling" |
Diamond 198 | 20 | 34 | - | Ronnie Dove Sings The Hits For You |
1966 | "Happy Summer Days" b/w "Long After" |
Diamond 205 | 27 | 7 | - | |
1966 | "I Really Don't Want To Know" b/w "Years Of Tears" (from Cry) |
Diamond 208 | 22 | 12 | - | |
1966 | "Cry" b/w "Autumn Rhapsody" |
Diamond 214 | 18 | 16 | - | Cry |
1967 | "One More Mountain To Climb" b/w "All" (from One Kiss For Old Times' Sake) |
Diamond 217 | 45 | - | - | |
1967 | "My Babe" b/w "Put My Mind At Ease" (from I'll Make All Your Dreams Come True) |
Diamond 221 | 50 | - | - | The Best Of Ronnie Dove, Volume 2 |
1967 | "I Want To Love You For What You Are" b/w "I Thank You For Your Love" (Non-album track) |
Diamond 227 | 54 | - | - | |
1967 | "Dancin' Out Of My Heart" b/w "Back From Baltimore" (from The Best Of Ronnie Dove, Volume 2) |
Diamond 235 | 87 | - | - | Non-album tracks |
1968 | "In Some Time" b/w "Livin' For Your Lovin'" |
Diamond 240 | 99 | 37 | - | |
1968 | "Mountain Of Love" b/w "Never Gonna Cry (The Way I'll Cry Tonight)" (Non-album track) |
Diamond 244 | 67 | - | - | Ronnie Dove Sings The Hits For You |
1968 | "Tomboy" b/w "Tell Me Tomorrow" |
Diamond 249 | 96 | 27 | - | Non-album tracks |
1969 | "What's Wrong With My World" b/w "That Empty Feeling" (from Ronnie Dove Sings The Hits For You) |
Diamond 256 | - | - | - | |
1969 | "I Need You Now" b/w "Bluebird" (from Right Or Wrong) |
Diamond 260 | 93 | - | - | |
1970 | "Chains Of Love" b/w "If I Live To Be A Hundred" (from One Kiss For Old Times' Sake) |
Diamond 271 | - | - | - | |
1971 | "Talking To My Children's Mama" b/w "Sunny" |
Wrayco 201 | - | - | - | |
1971 | "If I Cried Everytime You Hurt" b/w "Just The Other Side Of Nowhere" |
Decca 32853 | - | - | - | Ronnie Dove |
1972 | "Kiss The Hurt Away" b/w "He Cries Like A Baby" |
Decca 32919 | - | - | 61 | |
1972 | "My World Of Memories" b/w "It's No Sin" (Non-album track) |
Decca 32997 | - | - | - | |
1972 | "Lilacs In Winter" b/w "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)" |
Decca 33038 | - | - | 69 | |
1973 | "So Long Dixie" b/w "Take Me Back" |
MCA 40106 | - | - | - | Non-album tracks |
1975 | "Please Come To Nashville" b/w "Pictures On Paper" |
Melodyland 6004 | - | - | 75 | |
1975 | "Things" b/w "Here We Go Again" |
Melodyland 6011 | - | - | 25 | |
1975 | "Drina (Take Your Love Off For Me)" b/w "Your Sweet Love" |
Melodyland 6021 | - | - | - | |
1976 | "Right Or Wrong" b/w "Guns" |
Melodyland 6030 | - | - | - | |
1976 | "Tragedy" b/w "Songs We Sang As Children" |
Hitsville 6038 | - | - | - | |
1976 | "Why Daddy" b/w "The Morning After The Night Before" |
Hitsville 6045 | - | - | - | |
1978 | "The Angel In Your Eyes" b/w "Songs We Sang As Children" |
M.C. 5013 | - | - | - | New Old-Fashioned Love |
1983 | "She Feels So Right (I Feel So Wrong)" b/w "Loving On Back Streets" |
Moon Shine 3018 | - | - | - | The Bird is Back |
1984 | "Lucille Stubs" b/w "Loving On Back Streets" |
Hobby 1001 | - | - | - | |
1984 | "Slowly" b/w "Lucille Stubs" |
Hobby 1002 | - | - | - | |
1984 | "A Short Walk From Heaven" b/w "Livin' For Your Lovin'" |
Hobby 1003 | - | - | - | |
1985 | "I Don't Hurt Anymore" b/w "She Feels So Right" |
Hobby 1004 | - | - | - | |
1985 | "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" b/w "Just Call My Name" |
Gallery II 2002 | - | - | - | Non-album tracks |
1986 | "Just Call My Name" b/w "She Feels So Right" (from The Bird Is Back) |
NCA 133738 | - | - | - | |
1987 | "Heart" b/w "Old Time Rock 'N Roll" |
Diamond 378 | - | - | 77 | From The Heart |
1987 | "Rise and Shine" b/w "World Of Memories" |
Diamond 379 | - | - | 73 |
These two DVDs can be purchased from Ronnie's website (www.ronniedovemusic.com) [5]