Ron Blair
Encyclopedia
Ron Blair is the original bassist
for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
. He was the band
's bassist from 1976 to 1981. In 2002, he returned to the group after a 21-year hiatus, replacing his own replacement, the late Howie Epstein
.
His father was a Navy
man, so the family relocated every few years throughout the U.S.
as well as within Japan
and Hong Kong
. As a teenager in Japan, Ron was in a locally famous rock band. But it was the music scenes in Macon
, Georgia
, and Gainesville
, Florida
, where Blair felt most at home. In Gainesville, Blair was a member of the band RGF.
Blair eventually moved to Los Angeles
, and there teamed up with fellow Gainesville musicians Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench
, and Stan Lynch
. Campbell and Tench, along with Tom Petty, had been members of the popular Gainesville band Mudcrutch
. Mudcrutch had relocated from Gainesville to Los Angeles, but subsequently broke up.
After the breakup, Tench recruited Campbell, Blair, and Lynch to record demos in the hopes of getting a new record deal. After observing one of their sessions, Petty asked if they would like to assume his current recording contract
with Shelter Records
and start a band. (Denny Cordell, President
of Shelter, seeing Petty's potential, had kept him under contract while releasing the other members of Mudcrutch). Blair went on to play on the band’s first four album
s, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
, You're Gonna Get It!
, Damn the Torpedoes
, and Hard Promises
and one track on Long After Dark
before his departure in 1982.
He then rejoined them on March 18, 2002, to perform at the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
induction ceremony. The reunion led to Blair’s return to the group for their 2002 summer tour. He helped finish up The Last DJ
album, and has been present for all subsequent tours.
Aside from the Heartbreakers, Blair has designed albums for Barbara Morrison and Carlos Zialcita. He has also played on albums by Kirstin Candy, Stevie Nicks
, Del Shannon
, Slobberbone
, and The Tremblers. Blair was also part of the original lineup of The Dirty Knobs, Mike Campbell's side-project band.
Tom Petty
had the following to say about Blair: "It’s great having him [back] in the band. It reminds me of the old days just seeing him around. ... We hung out. We knew each other. And he was always the best bass player in town." (Orange County Register, August 26, 2002)
Blair has been seen with many basses (including a Rickenbacker
4001 and a Hofner
Club bass, both owned by Petty), but in his early years with the Heartbreakers, he used a black Fender Jazz Bass
and has used a white Jazz Bass ever since his return to the band. His bass rig in the early days of the Heartbreakers was a Vox Super Beatle
. When he returned to the band in 2002, and for the tours in 2002 and 2003, Blair was seen using a blonde piggyback Fender Bassman
amplifier (probably owned by Petty). From 2005 to the present day, Blair's bass rig is a modern Ampeg SVT
, which (unlike Campbell and Petty, whose amp stacks are only for show) Blair is truly plugged into.
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
. He was the band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
's bassist from 1976 to 1981. In 2002, he returned to the group after a 21-year hiatus, replacing his own replacement, the late Howie Epstein
Howie Epstein
Howard Norman Epstein , was a musician best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early life:...
.
His father was a Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
man, so the family relocated every few years throughout the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well as within Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. As a teenager in Japan, Ron was in a locally famous rock band. But it was the music scenes in Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where Blair felt most at home. In Gainesville, Blair was a member of the band RGF.
Blair eventually moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and there teamed up with fellow Gainesville musicians Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench
Benmont Tench
Benjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
, and Stan Lynch
Stan Lynch
Stanley Joseph "Stan" Lynch is an American songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994.- Early years :...
. Campbell and Tench, along with Tom Petty, had been members of the popular Gainesville band Mudcrutch
Mudcrutch
Mudcrutch is a Southern rock band from Gainesville, Florida best known for being the forerunner of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early Years:Mudcrutch was formed in 1970 by Tom Petty and Tom Leadon, who had been playing together in a band called the Epics...
. Mudcrutch had relocated from Gainesville to Los Angeles, but subsequently broke up.
After the breakup, Tench recruited Campbell, Blair, and Lynch to record demos in the hopes of getting a new record deal. After observing one of their sessions, Petty asked if they would like to assume his current recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Shelter Records
Shelter Records
Shelter Records was a U.S. record label started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell that operated from 1969 to 1981. The company established offices in both Los Angeles and Tulsa, Russell's home town, where the label sought to promote a "workshop atmosphere" with a recording studio in a converted...
and start a band. (Denny Cordell, President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Shelter, seeing Petty's potential, had kept him under contract while releasing the other members of Mudcrutch). Blair went on to play on the band’s first four album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (album)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is the eponymous debut album by the band of the same name, released in late 1976.Initially following its release, the album received little attention in the United States. Following a British tour, it climbed to #24 on the UK album chart and the single "Anything...
, You're Gonna Get It!
You're Gonna Get It!
You're Gonna Get It! is the second album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in 1978. Originally, the album was to be titled Terminal Romance. Like its self-titled predecessor, this album includes tight melodic songs awash in ringing guitars and organ. It reached #23 on Billboard's Top...
, Damn the Torpedoes
Damn the Torpedoes (album)
Damn the Torpedoes is the third album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released in 1979. This was the first of three Petty albums originally released by the Backstreet Records label, distributed by MCA Records. It built on the commercial success and critical acclaim of his two previous albums...
, and Hard Promises
Hard Promises
Hard Promises is the fourth album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released in May, 1981. Its original working title was Benmont's Revenge...
and one track on Long After Dark
Long After Dark
Long After Dark is the fifth album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in November 1982 on Backstreet Records. Notable for the major MTV hit "You Got Lucky", the album was also the first to feature the late Howie Epstein on bass and harmony vocals. Epstein's vocals are evident throughout...
before his departure in 1982.
He then rejoined them on March 18, 2002, to perform at the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
induction ceremony. The reunion led to Blair’s return to the group for their 2002 summer tour. He helped finish up The Last DJ
The Last DJ
The Last DJ is the eleventh studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The tracks "The Last DJ", "Money Becomes King", "Joe", and "Can't Stop the Sun" are attacks on the greediness of the music industry....
album, and has been present for all subsequent tours.
Aside from the Heartbreakers, Blair has designed albums for Barbara Morrison and Carlos Zialcita. He has also played on albums by Kirstin Candy, Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
, Del Shannon
Del Shannon
Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
, Slobberbone
Slobberbone
Slobberbone is an American alt-country band from Denton, Texas that formed in 1994. Slobberbone toured across the United States many times. The best-known line-up consisted of Brent Best , Jess Barr , Brian Lane , and drummer Tony Harper, although their lineup changed over the years...
, and The Tremblers. Blair was also part of the original lineup of The Dirty Knobs, Mike Campbell's side-project band.
Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
had the following to say about Blair: "It’s great having him [back] in the band. It reminds me of the old days just seeing him around. ... We hung out. We knew each other. And he was always the best bass player in town." (Orange County Register, August 26, 2002)
Blair has been seen with many basses (including a Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
4001 and a Hofner
Höfner
Karl Höfner GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, with one division that manufactures guitars and basses, and another that manufactures other string instruments....
Club bass, both owned by Petty), but in his early years with the Heartbreakers, he used a black Fender Jazz Bass
Fender Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
and has used a white Jazz Bass ever since his return to the band. His bass rig in the early days of the Heartbreakers was a Vox Super Beatle
Vox (musical equipment)
Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
. When he returned to the band in 2002, and for the tours in 2002 and 2003, Blair was seen using a blonde piggyback Fender Bassman
Fender Bassman
The Fender Bassman was a bass amplifier introduced by Fender in 1952. Although it was originally designed for bass guitars, it was frequently used for normal electric guitar in rock and roll, blues, and country bands.-History:...
amplifier (probably owned by Petty). From 2005 to the present day, Blair's bass rig is a modern Ampeg SVT
Ampeg SVT
The Ampeg SVT is a bass amplifier made by Ampeg. The SVT, which stands for "Super Valve Technology", was designed by Bill Hughes and introduced in 1969. The SVT bass head produced 300 watts at a time when most amplifiers made less than 100. The SVT has been through many design changes over the...
, which (unlike Campbell and Petty, whose amp stacks are only for show) Blair is truly plugged into.