Ronnie Eckstine

Ron Eckstine (born 1946)[1] is a former actor and music manager, and stepson of singer Billy Eckstine[2] by way of Billy's marriage to Ronnie's mother, Carolle Drake.[3]

Early life

He played high school football at Birmingham High School, where he and his older brother Kenny were the only African American students,[4] and attended the University of California, Los Angeles.[5]

Career

He was conscripted into military service in 1965.[6] Six months after he completed his service, and with dramatic training by Lillian Randolph,[7] Eckstine made his acting debut in the 1967 film The Love-Ins.[8] He appeared in the TV movie Shadow on the Land (1968), an adaptation of Sinclair Lewis's novel It Can't Happen Here, and had guest roles in the television series Room 222 and Cannon.[7]

In the 1970s he organized and managed a six-person teen vocal group, Spicegarden, with Laddie Chapman as the musical director.[7] In the 1980s, Eckstine began promoting concerts and managing disco and other dance music groups and by the late 1990s had established Ron Eckstine Management, based in Beverly Hills.[9]

Escape

In February 1984, after Eckstine was arrested on charges of forgery and evasion of arrest, he escaped from jail the following month by exchanging identification bracelets with another prisoner and leaving on that prisoner's bail.[2] Eckstine's family then issued a press release asking the Los Angeles Police Department to be discreet in their attempts to recapture him.[10]

Personal life

Eckstine met singer Leslie Uggams in June 1964 while she was performing at the Flamingo in Las Vegas and the two started dating.[11] Uggams announced her engagement to Eckstine the following month while she was performing in Australia.[5] When Eckstine was conscripted into military service, Uggams left him for Grahame Pratt, a European Australian man whom she married in 1965.[12]

See also

References
  1. Ginell, Cary (2013). Mr. B: The Music and Life of Billy Eckstine. Hal Leonard Books. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-4803-6679-4.
  2. "Billy Eckstine's Stepson Hunted by L.A. Police". Jet. March 19, 1984. p. 61.
  3. "Billy Eckstine Dies at 78: Helped to Launch Bebop". The Crisis. March 1993. pp. 6+20.
  4. "Big Eckstine Family Shares Eleven-Room California Home". Ebony. July 1961. pp. 48–50.
  5. "TV's Leslie Uggams to Wed Billy Eckstine's Son". Jet. July 30, 1964. p. 57.
  6. Sears, Art Jr. (May 20, 1965). "Drama Breakthrough Hovers for Singer who Acted at 8: Singer Sets Sights on a New Career". Jet. pp. 58–61.
  7. "Ron Eckstine On His Way in Entertainment World". Florence Morning News. October 16, 1971. p. 7 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  8. Robinson, Louie (June 29, 1967). "Ronnie Hopes to Portray New Image of Negro: Not Angry". Jet. pp. 58–61.
  9. Moton, Tony (July 25, 1997). "Dance Gets New Respect". Omaha World Herald. p. 35 – via LexisNexis.
  10. "Family Issues Pleas for Escapee Ronnie Eckstine". Jet. March 26, 1984. p. 62.
  11. "Leslie Uggams Says Eckstine's Son is 'No. 1'". Jet. August 27, 1964. p. 23.
  12. Uggams, Leslie (May 1967). "Why I Married an Australian: Young Singer Tells of Her Marriage Across Color Line". Ebony. pp. 140–144.
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