("Ronnie/Photo Gallery")
("Ronnie’s e-mail Link")
Ronnie Deaton/Guitar
Ronnie’s contribution to Common Ground is lead/tenor/baritone vocals. He is also the lead/rhythm guitarist for the group. “I don’t claim to be a guitar player. I do love to play though.” His choice of guitar is a Custom 1997 Martin D-41. “I do want to say right up front, that a person is only as good as the other individuals who play in the band with him or her. It’s like a chain. You’re only as strong as your weakest link. The guys who have played with me in the past, and those that play with me currently in Common Ground, are fantastic musicians and vocalists. Any strengths that God has blessed me with, are brought to the surface by these guys. I’m nothing without them.”
Being raised in Eastern Kentucky, just outside of Hazard, he was exposed to bluegrass music from about the time he was born. “Dad and mom always were big fans of Ralph Stanley, The Osborne Brothers, and Jim & Jessie. The only other thing that they would listen to was Fats Domino or The Beatles. I didn’t know that there was anything else. As a kid, I used to sit on the bedside and sing with my mom and dad’s record player. As years went on, I became the family entertainment at the family gatherings and reunions. My greatest influences today would have to be Flatt & Scruggs, The Seldom Scene, Charlie Waller & The Country Gentlemen, and most of all Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Nobody can beat Doyle. Their attention to detail and perfection on the harmonies, is incredible.”
When Ronnie was in his late teenage years, he started church and accepted Christ. He became friends with a bunch of fellow churchgoers from a little place called Altro, Kentucky. A few years back they had a little gospel bluegrass group called the Farler Brothers. One of the guys in particular was kind of like a second dad to him. “George Farler first taught me how to play the guitar. Then he taught me the banjo and a little bit on the mandolin and bass. I would go down to his house any chance that I got. We would sit and play for hours. Sometimes we would play all night. Many times we would still be playing when the sun came up. On occasion his brothers would come over and we would throw together a band and have a blast just jamming for hours.” After a short while, they decided that they would visit local churches and play. That’s where he got started.
In 1999, on New Years Eve, while at a monthly held bluegrass jamboree in Madison Indiana, a good friend of Ronnie’s, (James White of James White & Dear Creek), introduced him to a banjo player who was filling in with the band that night for their regular banjo player. James invited Ronnie to get up with the band and do a couple of songs. After the show the banjo player introduced himself to Ronnie as Tim Howder of Skynny Lynyrd/Son’s Of Thunder. He asked Ronnie if he was currently playing with a band. Chuckling a little bit, Ronnie replied, “are you kidding? No I’m not.” He in turn told Ronnie that they had been looking for someone to fill the lead singing/mandolin position, but they hadn’t had any luck. He invited Ronnie to their next practice. This was where Ronnie met Jack. They joined Skynny Lynyrd/Sons Of Thunder at about the same time. This was the start of Ronnie’s playing around Southern Indiana. From Skynny Lynyrd/Sons Of Thunder came Common Ground.
“I want to finish up by letting you know that if you ever see me at a performance, or anywhere else for that matter, and I don’t seem to respond back to you if you wave or try to speak to me, It’s because I’m legally blind and I can’t see you. It may seem from time to time that I don’t have that great of a vision loss, but I do. As I get older I’m beginning to realize that I may have been in situations in the past where it may seem that I’m stuck up, not responsive, or something like that, but I’m actually not at all. I’m not ignoring you, it’s just that I can’t see your attempt to get my attention. If at any time you would like to shake my hand or tell me something, and I don’t reach back to shake hands with you or talk to you, please feel free to come up to me and just grab my hand, or speak to me first. I will always be glad to talk with you. Don’t ever feel afraid that you may offend me, because you won’t at all.”
---Ronnie Deaton
