Ronnie Laws

Ronald Wayne Laws (born October 3, 1950)[1] is an American jazz, jazz fusion[2] and smooth jazz saxophonist, and singer. He is the younger brother of jazz flutist Hubert Laws, jazz vocalist Eloise Laws and the older brother of Debra Laws.[3]

Ronnie Laws
Birth nameRonald Wayne Laws
Born (1950-10-03) October 3, 1950
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Instrument(s)Saxophone, flute, vocals
Years active1971–present
LabelsBlue Note
Liberty
Columbia
Websitewww.ronnielawsmusic.net

Biography

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, United States,[1] Laws is the fifth of eight children. He started playing the saxophone at the age of 11.[4]

He attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, for two years.

In 1971, Laws journeyed to Los Angeles, California to embark upon a musical career. He started off by performing with trumpeter Hugh Masekela. In 1972, Laws joined the band Earth, Wind & Fire where he played saxophone and flute on their album Last Days and Time. After 18 months working with Earth, Wind and Fire, he decided to become a solo artist.[4] In 1975, Laws issued his debut album entitled Pressure Sensitive on Blue Note Records.[5] The album reached No. 25 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.[6] In 1976, Laws went on to release his second LP Fever.[7] The album reached No. 13 on the Billboard Top Soul LPs chart.[8]

His third album, Friends & Strangers, was issued in 1977 on United Artists Records.[9] The album has been certified gold in the US by the RIAA.[10] Laws' fourth studio LP, entitled Flame was released in September 1978 on United Artists.[11] The LP reached No. 16 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.[12]

His follow up album Every Generation was issued in 1980 by United Artists Records.[13] The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.[14]

Work with other artists

Laws produced and sang on Debra Laws' 1981 album Very Special. He later played saxophone on Ramsey Lewis' 1983 album Les Fleurs, Sister Sledge's 1983 LP Bet Cha Say That to All the Girls, Deniece Williams' 1984 album Let's Hear It for the Boy and Jeff Lorber's 1984 LP In the Heat of the Night. Laws also performed on Alphonse Mouzon's 1985 album The Sky Is the Limit and 1988 LP Early Spring. He then made guest appearances on Howard Hewett's 1988 LP Forever and Ever, Norman Brown's 1992 album Just Between Us and Earth, Wind & Fire's 1993 LP Millennium.[15]

Laws has also worked with artists such as Guru, Brian Culbertson, Jeff Lorber and the Crusaders.[15]

Legacy

Artists such as jazz saxophonist Boney James and jazz guitarist Norman Brown have been influenced by Laws.[16][17]

Discography

Albums
Year Title Peak chart positions Record label Certifications
(sales thresholds)
US
[18]		 US
R&B
[19]		 US
Jazz
[20]		 US
Con. Jazz
[21]		 US
Tra. Jazz
[22]
1975 Pressure Sensitive 73 25 — — — Blue Note
1976 Fever 46 13 — — — Blue Note
1977 Friends & Strangers 37 13 — — — Blue Note Gold: RIAA[23]
1978 Flame 51 16 — — — United Artists
1980 Every Generation 24 4 — — — United Artists
1981 Solid Ground 51 17 — — — Liberty
1983 Mr. Nice Guy 98 24 — — 19 Capitol
1984 Classic Masters (compilation) — 33 — — 16 Capitol
1986 Mirror Town — — — — — Columbia
1987 All Day Rhythm — — — — — Columbia
1989 True Spirit — — — 13 — Par Records
1990 Identity — 80 — 19 — ATA Records
1992 Deep Soul — — — 6 — Par Records
1993 Brotherhood — — — — — 101 South Records
1995 Natural Laws — — 34 25 — The Right Stuff/EMI
1997 Tribute to the Legendary Eddie Harris — — — — — Blue Note
1998 Harvest for the World (Portrait of the Isley Brothers) — — 41 — — Blue Note
2000 Dream a Little — — — 16 — HDH Records
2004 Everlasting — — 39 25 — HDH Records

Charted singles
Year Title Chart positions
US
[24]		 US
R&B
[25]
1975 "Always There" - 45
1978 "Love Is Here" - 57
1979 "All for You" - 93
1980 "Every Generation" - 12
1981 "Stay Awake" 60 19
"There's a Way" - 75
1983 "In the Groove" - 31
"Mr. Nice Guy" - 80
1985 "City Girl" - 31
1991 "Morning in My Life" - 76
2000 "Old Days / Old Ways" - 36

References
  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1439. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. "Ronnie Laws Music". Ronnielawsmusic.net. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  3. Darling, Cary (31 Oct 1981). "Ronnie Laws Gambles And Wins" (PDF). Billboard: 78 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  4. "Old Enough to Have Paid Dues and Then Some". Latimes.com.
  5. Ronnie Laws: Pressure Sensitive. Blue Note Records. 1975.
  6. "Ronnie Laws: Pressure Sensitive (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com.
  7. Ronnie Laws: Flame. Blue Note Records. 1976.
  8. "Ronnie Laws: Fever (Top Soul LPs)". billboard.com.
  9. Ronnie Laws: Friends and Strangers. United Artists Records. 1977.
  10. "Ronnie Laws: Friends and Strangers". riaa.com.
  11. Ronnie Laws: Flame. United Artists Records. September 1978.
  12. "Ronnie Laws: Flame (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com.
  13. Ronnie Laws: Every Generation. United Artists Records. 1980.
  14. "Ronnie Laws: Every Generation (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  15. "Ronnie Laws". allmusic.com.
  16. "Boney James Takes Guest Artists For A 'Ride'". billboard.com.
  17. "A guitarist who won't play what he practices". dailynews.com. August 7, 2009.
  18. "Ronnie Laws: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  19. "Ronnie Laws: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  20. "Ronnie Laws: Top Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  21. "Ronnie Laws: Contemporary Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  22. "Ronnie Laws: Traditional Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  23. "Ronnie Laws". riaa.com.
  24. "Ronnie Laws: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  25. "Ronnie Laws: R&B". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
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