About Ramona

There are at least four artists that have recorded under the name of Ramona. - Ramona- U.S. Rhythm and Blues/Soul singer, former member of The Johnny Otis Show - Ramona (aka Ramona Wulf) Germany - Ramona - Canada - Ramona - U.K. 1. Ramona (who records under her first name only), was born Ramona Smith in Los Angeles, Ca., (no date given in her bio), and is a blues and soul belter who got her lucky break in the mid-1980's when the legendary Johnny Otis recruited her for his revue. She can be heard on the 1990 album by Johnny Otis, Good Lovin' Blues, where she sings lead on several tracks. That record also features Johnny's son Shuggie Otis (a blues/funk cult figure in his own right) on guitar, bass and organ. Ramona can also be heard on several live releases of the Johnny Otis Band from that period. She left Otis' band when she moved to her adoptive home of Little Rock, Arkansas in the '90s. There she formed rhythm and blues/soul band, Ramona and The Soul Rhythms. They have opened for such notables as B.B. King and Al Jarreau, and remain active today. 2. Ramona (aka Ramona Wulf) formerly of Silver Convention. Ramona is the daughter of an African American U.S. soldier and a German. She grew up with foster parents who recognized her talent and allowed her private voice lessons. In 1969 she was discovered in Frankfurt am Main at a talent contest and recorded her first single. 3. A Canadian power pop band formed in 2009 featuring ex-Junior Achiever members Dave Fritz and Jeremy Knowles. . Ramona began as a creative outlet for producer / audio engineer / guitarist Dave Fritz. when he wasn't engineering or playing guitar in Junior Achiever he kept busy recording demos at home. Dave finally decided to commit five of these songs to "tape", his initial intention to give a few copies away to family and friends. Dave began to take Ramona more seriously however once others took interest his project. Upon hearing the track A Way Over bass player Matt trotter insisted that Ramona perform live and that he be part of it. Dave's former band mate Jeremy Knowles, who had already contributed to the EP, eagerly hopped on board as drummer. The new line up had completed an EP, secured a record deal and filmed a music video long before they had even played a single show together. Ramona's debut EP Mornington Crescent Now Open is melodic and infectious, following in the great power pop tradition established by pioneers such as The Kinks and The Cars. The EP was recorded by Dave in Toronto at Savile Row studio. Finding inspiration in classic 60's Mod records, the EP was a conscious effort to make a recording that was a little rough around the edges and organic. 'Mornington Crescent Now Open' is a sonic departure from sterile and heavily produced rock albums that seem to dominate the music scene in North America. The EP was released in the USA on Pacific Ridge Records, in Europe with Engineer Records and in Japan on Fixing A Hole Records. Dave's friendship with Japanese rockers Shakalabbits resulted in the bonus track `Kids In Tokyo`. The song was inspired by the audiences that Dave played to while touring Japan and his new found love for the country. Shakalabbits' drummer Mah was so moved by the sentiment that he agreed to play drums on the song at a studio in japan while Dave finished the rest of the song in Toronto. Ramona`s sophomore effort `The Yellow Line` will be released in January 2015. 4. Ramona the four piece band from Brighton, England. They formed in October 2009 and consist of four members. Lead vocalist Karen-Anne, guitarist Charlie Snelling, bassist Jimmy Watts and drummer Fred West. The band's inception was based on a series of chance meetings on the Brighton music scene. Singer Karen-Anne was looking to form a band, having moved back to her hometown of Brighton after seven years in London. On spotting him in the audience at a local gig, she approached guitarist Charlie. Within a few days, they were writing and recording together, their first composition being the ballad 'Gorgeous Garbage'. They soon found local bassist Jimmy Watts and drummer Fred West who had played together previously in local Post-Punk three-piece Arty Karate. Ramona's sound is a lo-fi take on the the three-minute Pop song in a Punk rock context. Influences include Blondie, The Buzzcocks and The Jesus And Mary Chain. Within a few month of forming they were picked up by Columbia Records and had completed two UK tours, including their first support tour with American Folk/Pop artist 'Lissie'.