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Ronnie Self

Ronnie Self
Self in 1956
Background information
Birth nameRonald Keith Self
Born(1938-07-05)July 5, 1938
Tin Town, Missouri, United States
DiedAugust 28, 1981(1981-08-28) (aged 43)
Springfield, Missouri, United States
GenresRockabilly; rock 'n' roll; country gospel; pop (as a songwriter)
OccupationsSinger, songwriter
Years active1955–1964
LabelsABC-Paramount (1956), Columbia (1956-59),

Ronnie Self (July 5, 1938 – August 28, 1981) was an American rock 'n' roll musician and vocalist best known for his original 1957 rockabilly original, "Bop-A-Lena," becoming a hit single in the United States and a critically-acclaimed chart-topping hit in Australia for two consecutive years.

Biography

[edit]

The first of five children, Ronald Keith Self was born to Raymond and Hazel Self on July 5, 1938 in Tin Town, Missouri.[1] His father began working at a railroad and the family relocated to Springfield when Ronnie was young.[2][3] He frequently brought demo recordings to employees at the local headquarters of radio station Radio KWTO, located in Springfield and the home of the Ozark Jubilee.[3] When country musician Bobby Lord, a regular performer on the Ozark Jubilee, was impressed upon hearing a demo tape and convinced Red Foley's manager, Dub Albritten, to have Self scheduled to record on April 24, 1956 Pretty Bad Blues and Three Hearts Later; both released on LP in June 1956.[4] Self recorded Big Fool and Flame Of Love at Bradley Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, released together on LP.[4]

Albritten became Self's manager and secured for his new client a two-year recording contract with Columbia Records, in addition to being added to the cast of the Ozark Jubilee, touring as part of the Phillip Morris Caravan. Self's energetic, live performances and wild fan reception, Allbritten billed his client as "Mr. Frantic"[5] a response to his unprecedented use of aggressive and guttural vocal screaming, jumping as dancing, and with the audience engaging in call and response and creating an open space/pit conducive to jamming, the predecessor to moshing. Later that year, his country music anthem Ain't I'm A Dog was released, achieving regional success in the southern United States.[3]

His third single for Columbia was Bop-A-Lena, co-written by Webb Pierce and Mel Tillis, and was the only song to enter the Billboard 100 when it charted 63rd in March 1958. You're So Right For Me] was also recorded at that session, and delayed due to concerns over its aggression. Music historian Colin Escott has called Bop-a-Lena "the first punk record" and noted that this session, overall, yielded music sharing vocal and attitudinal elements of garage rock and proto-punk and hard rock. Columbia Records elected to first release an LP comprising the songs Date Bait and Big Blon' Baby, though it was unsuccessful. Self's fourth and final Columbia single, featuring You're So Right For Me and the Petrified and released in September 1958 featuring guttural vocals. Soon after, Self's recording contract expired and he was dropped by Columbia when they declined to renew.[3] Self signed with Decca Records in 1959, though recording sessions were rare, financed and arranged by Allbritten, and taking place at Owen Bradley's studio in Nashville, Tennessee.[6] As a songwriter, Self successfully penned numerous song lyrics, of which Brenda Lee recorded several, including "I'm Sorry", "Sweet Nothin's", and "Everybody Loves Me But You," which all became major pop classics.[7] His country gospel song "Ain't That Beautiful Singing" was recorded by Jake Hess and received a Grammy Award for Best Sacred Performance in 1969.[8] He also wrote Brenda Lee's 1963 No. 28 UK hit single "Sweet Impossible You"[9] (the B-side to "The Grass is Greener" in the United States).With Decca, Self composed his two most successful songs, both recorded by Brenda Lee. Sweet Nothin's was commercially successful as was it successor, I'm Sorry.[10] Self is co-credited as a songwriter alongside Albritten on most Decca productions, which according to Lee stated in an interview that this was done as a way for Allbritten to recoup some of his money he invested in Self's recordings; he had arranged most song-publishing deals this way.[6][11][12]

A severe alcoholic, his erratic on-stage behavior and unpredictable energetic live performances stalled his career progression[11][13] "Bop-A-Lena," released in early 1958 whereupon it reached No. 68 on the U.S. Billboard charts and No. 25 in Australia.[7] His boastful country anthem, "Ain't I'm a Dog", was a regional success in the Deep South, but failed to chart nationally, though successful in Australia.

One single was recorded for Kapp Records and released in 1963. In 1967, he released a record on Scratch Records to underwhelming response. In 1968, Self released his final recording on Amy Records. Ronnie Self died in Springfield, Missouri on August 28, 1981 from cirrhosis, aged 43.[7][5] Roman released a tribute album to his father titled A Tribute to Ronnie Self in 2003, which is available on YouTube and Spotify.[14]

Track listing (including unreleased)

[edit]
  • Pretty Bad Blues (first major release with ABC Recording)[15]
  • Waiting for the Gin to Hit[16]
  • Bop-A-Lena[17]
  • Big Fool[15]
  • Ain't I'm A Dog [15]
  • Big Blon' Baby[18]
  • You're So Right for Me [15]
  • Long Distance Kiss [17]
  • Petrified [15]
  • Grandma's Rockin [15]
  • Three Hearts Later [15]
  • Date Bait [15]
  • Too Many Lovers [15]
  • Instant Man [15]
  • Black Night Blues [15]
  • Past, Present and Future [15]
  • Big Town [15]
  • Do It Now [15]
  • Flame of Love [15]
  • Oh Me, Oh My [15]
  • Hair Of The Dog
  • I´ve Been Brought Down [15]
  • When He Flies Away [15]
  • Long Train To Memphis
  • Wild And Wooly Life [15]
  • Go Go the Cannibal (posthumous release) [15]
  • Ugly Stick (posthumous) [15]
  • So High (posthumous) [15]
  • Some Other World [15]
  • Blame Me For World War I [15]
  • I Want You To [15]
  • Roll Over, Beethoven (live recording) [15]
  • Sweet Little Sixteen [15]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kirby, Michael Jack (2010). "Ronnie Self Bop A Lena". Way Back Attack. Kirby, Michael. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  2. ^ "Ronnie Self Musician Overview". Spotify. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ronnie Self". This is My Story. Retrieved August 20, 2025.[unreliable source?]
  4. ^ a b "Ronnie Self Discography". Discogs. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Sclafani, Tony (June 15, 2009). "Pop artists who deserve posthumous respect". today.com. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b Lee, Brenda (2002). Little Miss Dynamite. UK. pp. 63–64.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ a b c Bruce Eder. "Ronnie Self | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  8. ^ "Ronnie Self". Rockabillyhall.com. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  9. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 318/9. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  10. ^ "Billboard" (PDF). Billboard. No. 1960 March 28. March 28, 1960. p. 30. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  11. ^ a b "WTOL Toledo, Ohio: 1958 Radio Interview with Ronnie Self ("Mr. Frantic")". Penny Loafers and Bobby Sox. 15 May 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.[unreliable source?]
  12. ^ "Self, Ronald". TopperMost. 30 May 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  13. ^ "Pretty Bad Blues". YouTube. 5 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Roman Self: A Tribute to Ronnie Self". YouTube. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "Ronnie Self - Rockabilly". YouTube.com. YT channel: Ronnie Self - Topic. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  16. ^ "Ronnie Self and sons - "Waitin' for My Gin to Hit Me"". YouTube. 4 September 2011.
  17. ^ a b "Ronnie Self - Bop-A-Lena". YouTube.com. YT channel: Ronnie Self - Topic. 8 November 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  18. ^ "Ronnie Self - Big Blon' Baby". YouTube.com. YT channel: Ronnie Self - Topic. 8 November 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2025.