Ron Anthony Thousand of people at Grants Tomb in New York City for a WBLS tribute to Luther Vandross and Ron is rocking the house!! As a seasoned musician who was in the audience told him later that day "man, you had the audience in the palm of your hands, you were phenomenal!" NBC News showed clips of Ron's performance when they covered the event later that evening during their newscast. Ron believes it’s time to put the LIVE back into performances and ROMANCE back into R&B music. As one of the hottest, most talented new singer/songwriters to hit the scene, he is leading that charge, ready to take the world by storm with his energetic performances, live band, romantic lyrics and a voice that Luther Vandross anointed as the next crooner! This Brooklyn native’s roots are in the church. A natural performer, he started singing at the age of 3 in a gospel choir where he discovered the power of music and his love for live performances. Ron spent his summers with his grandparents in North Carolina where he delighted the congregation with his rousing and evocative solos. He graduated from Erasmus Hall High School of Performing Arts, the training ground for multi-talented artists Barbra Streisand and Stephanie Mills. It was here that he developed his distinctive sound and five-octave tenor. Ron then studied with the famed artistic director Harry Poe at Mindbuilders Creative Arts Center where he triple majored in acting, musical theater and dramatic arts. In 1992, Ron won a lead role in the touring production of “Mama, I Want to Sing”, spending several years performing in the United States, Europe, Japan and Taiwan where he made a name for himself as a live performer. He also began to build a solid reputation as a background singer, working with Phoebe Snow, Chico Debarge and Amel Larrieux. Through these shows Ron caught the attention of the one of the greatest R&B vocalists of our time. Luther Vandross saw several of Ron’s performances and recognizing his undeniable talent, signed Ron to an exclusive deal to his production company. He spent the next year singing backgrounds with Luther off and on and recording and writing his music while performing private gigs and club dates. Since then, Ron has been captivating audiences with his charismatic vocals and dynamic stage performances. Ron’s focus is reintroducing smooth lyrics and seductive melodies to today’s R&B and soul music. He signed with Notable Entertainment, the manager behind the phenomenal success of multi-platinum Grammy winner Ashanti and headed to the studio, crafting the heartfelt ballads “You and Me” and “What’s Your Name”, the party song “Shake That Thang” and the tribute to Luther “Superstar”. “My music is multi-generational,” explains Ron. “I write songs that everyone can relate to – an eclectic mix of old school and the new.” He counts soul pioneers Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye among his influences, but it was the poetry of Maya Angelou that inspired him to develop his talents as a songwriter. His music explores the themes of love, respect and social responsibility. Ron’s talents extend beyond the studio. He is a skilled actor who has appeared in the musical “Aint Misbehavin’” and shared the stage with CeCe Winans, Regina Belle, Shirley Caesar, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Stephanie Mills and Isaiah Washington. With his powerful vocals and signature sound, Ron Anthony is poised to usher in a new era of sexy soul. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.