Michael Picasso

Album: Artful Dodger (1997)
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Songfacts®:

  • This intensely personal and emotional Ian Hunter composition is a tribute to Mick Ronson, one of the many artists Hunter has worked with in his long and illustrious career. Multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer Ronson was born in Hull in 1946; his studio recordings included work as a session guitarist for Elton John and Michael Chapman. Ronson was recruited by David Bowie for his backing band The Spiders From Mars; he released three solo albums, and after Hunter left Mott The Hoople, the two teamed up as Hunter-Ronson.

    Mick Ronson died from cancer of the liver on April 29, 1993, aged only 46.
  • Hunter ends the song with a few bars adapted from the Phil Spector composition "To Know Him Is To Love Him", as clearly he, and so many other people did. On April 29, 1994, Hunter was one of numerous big names who performed at the Mick Ronson Memorial Concert, Hammersmith. Hunter topped the bill at the second Mick Ronson Memorial Concert which was held at Hull on August 9, 1997 where he dedicated the song to Ronson's mother. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

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