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Mystic Weekend 2006

TO VIEW VIDEO CLIPS FROM THESE GIGS:

TO VISIT THE Y&T/MENIKETTI MESSAGE BOARD FORUM:

At the risk of sounding like a broken record....I want to repeat some of the same things I said on stage, on our Message Board Forums, and on the Y&T Forums...

 

This is an annual 2-night event for Y&T and their fans which has become a very special tradition - I know the band could have had their choice for an opening act, and I am so honored that they invited me to be a part of Mystic Weekend 2006. It truly was one of the high points of my year, and I am blown away by the quality of people who make up the Y&T family - Dave & Jill Meniketti, Phil Kennemore, John Nymann, Mike Vanderhule, Chrys (stage/guitars) & Tom (sound), Jeff "Rowdy J" Kehr, on down to all the incredible friends and fans that participate on this forum and attend the gigs.

You have all been great to me, from Nevada to Colorado to Illinois to California, and this weekend was the climax of some very good times with Y&T this year - the sound was killer, the crowds were awesome, and the parties - before and after the gigs - were a blast.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, and raise my glass and my fist to you - consider my face officially melted.

 

 

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RETURN TO HOLLYWOOD

 

I enjoyed returning to Hollywood November 11, for my first show there in almost 15 years - it was an Rock N Roll featuring myself, ex-Skid Row drummer-turned stand-up-comic Phil Varone, and headliners EXILE SOCIAL CLUB, a new all star LA Supergroup consisting of Chuck Wright, Pat Torpey, Jason Hook, and David Victor - all current or former members of Quiet Riot, Mr. Big, the Vince Neil band, Alice Cooper, Montrose, and many others. 

During the course of their show, ESC was joined by Cherie Currie (lead vocalist for The Runaways - and she was HOT - seeing & hearing her sing "Cherry Bomb" was a long-time dream come true), and Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot).

I felt good about my performance, and my solo acoustic show seemed well-received - and of course I enjoyed the climactic all-star jam at the end of the night: myself, Robin McCauley (MSG), David Glen Eisley (House Of Lords), and Dokken guitarist Jon Levin got on stage and we closed the show with a long raucous version of "Whole Lotta Rosie".

 

visit http://theexilesocialclub.com

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"Alone At Last" Now Available At iTunes

"Alone At Last", my new solo acoustic album, is now available for download at Apple's iTunes - for your direct link to the tracks, click here:

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"Haunted Saloon" Lyrics Appear In Book: "Cowboy Poetry Of The Southwest"

Through the years, I have been very fortunate to have experienced so many different thrills that this business has to offer - I've been a rock star, a country singer, an actor, a producer, a songwriter, done almost every aspect of the business behind the scenes, and lots more - and now, I can add 'Cowboy Poet' to my resume.

My lyrics to the song "Haunted Saloon", a track which appears on the "IronHorse - Bring It On" CD,  appear in a new book: "Cowboy Poetry Of The Southwest", compiled by John Abernathy of Albuquerque New Mexico. 

Net proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros (ISPMB); they run a sanctuary up in South Dakota and have the White Sands Mustangs in addition to a herd taken from near Gila Bend, AZ. 

To order an autographed copy for only $6.99:

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CMG Recording Artist Charlie Tatman Records RK's "You Can Have What's Left Of Me"

One of the greatest honors a songwriter can have is when another artist records their material. I am extremely proud that someone I love & respect - CMG Recording Artist Charlie Tatman - has chosen to include my song "You Can Have What's Left Of Me" on his upcoming debut CMG CD.

Charlie & I have performed together throughout Ohio on many occasions,  and I am very happy for him securing this Nashville-based recording contract and wish him great success with this release and his upcoming tour.

"You Can Have What's Left Of Me", which I consider one of the best songs I've ever created, previously appeared on the self-titled IronHorse album and, and my solo acoustic version can be found on my latest CD "Alone At Last".

Please visit Charlie Tatman's web site: http://charlietatman.com

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BALZOUT/BIOWORLD Premieres New 'Rockstalgia' Merchandise at Las Vegas MAGIC Convention

On Monday & Tuesday August 28/29 I attended the MAGIC Convention in Las Vegas to help promote our new retail merchandising deals with Balzout & Bioworld. MAGIC is a huge trade show for clothing and apparel (it makes NAMM look like a yard sale), and Balzout premiered the new 'Rockstalgia' line of concert merchandise from bands like KEEL, Dokken, Winger, Angel, Steelheart, Starz, and many more.

L to R: Metal Mike Chlasiak (Halford, Sebastian Bach) - Randy Jackson (Zebra) - Frank Dimino (Angel) - Pat Travers - Stephen Pearcy (RATT), Ritchie Ranno (Starz) - & RK down in front

'Rockstalgia' items such as concert t-shirts, hats, and much more will soon be appearing in retail outlets such as Spencer's, Hot Topic, Hasting's, and many other rock retail outlets.

 

Thanks to our licensing agents Jim Paidas and Jon Levin at Paidas Management for making all this happen.  The after-party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino was a blast, attended by rock veterans like me, Pat Travers, Don Dokken, Stephen Pearcy, Stephen Adler from Guns n Roses, Ritchie Ranno from Starz, Frank Dimino from Angel, Mili (Michael) Miletjovic from Steelheart (and the voice of the movie 'Rock Star'), Metal Mike Chlasiak (guitarist for Sebastian Bach & Rob Halford), Chip from Enuff Z'Nuff, and many others. A complete report can be found on the Message Board Forum.

 

New KEEL T-Shirts & More - Coming Soon

 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICS FROM THE MAGIC CONVENTION

 

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Ron Keel & Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot, etc.) Join Forces:  Duo Debuts In Las Vegas

I am excited to be working with one of Rock's finest voices and one of my best friends in the business, ex-Rough Cutt/Quiet Riot frontman Paul Shortino. Paul and I teamed up to headline the 'Rock 4 Xmas' charity benefit in New York a couple of years ago, sang a duet on the title track of the 'Rock 4 Xmas' CD, and we recently got together to do four shows together in Las Vegas - October 5 at Sam's Town, and October 6-8 at the Eldorado Casino.

It was an exhilarating experience, pouring out songs from throughout our careers and favorite covers, singing in harmony and improvising, sometimes smiling and laughing so much we could hardly sing...Paul is not only a very gifted singer, but an engaging entertainer, hard worker, and a genuine good guy with a big heart. I think we're on to something here, and hopefully we'll be able to announce additional KEEL/SHORTINO shows in the very near future.

please also visit http://paulshortino.com

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"Alone At Last" - The New Solo Acoustic CD - AVAILABLE NOW

My new solo album, "Alone At Last", is available now. It features 12 new versions of some of my all-time favorite songs from throughout my career:

Private Lies

The Time Of My Life

Hillbilly Heavy Metal Rock N Roll Soul

Dreams Are Not Enough

Give Me All Your Love Tonight

Serenade

Haunted Saloon

Here Today Gone Tomorrow

Calm Before The Storm

Last Call

You Can Have What's Left Of Me

Die Fighting

These songs were recorded on the Tascam 2488 digital workstation, using my Dean Exotica 6 & 12 string acoustic guitars, Morley Stereo Chorus/Volume & wah wah pedals, Dean Markley strings, Samson C01 Studio Condenser microphone, an old piano, and little else. No vocals were ‘tuned’’, altered, or doctored in any way.

There are those who have sat at a bar with me until long after closing, when my throat is raw, and listened to me pull out all my favorite songs and play them until my fingers bleed and the strings break. There are those who have shared a campfire and a bottle of whiskey with me under the desert skies and heard these songs echo through the canyons, or been there on the bus as we passed the guitars around and sang and played through the night.

These types of moments have been some of the most memorable and special of my career, and this is an attempt to capture that feeling on CD. Recording this disc has been a very fulfilling experience, and I hope that those who listen will enjoy it and know how much I appreciate singing to you.

To buy "Alone At Last" through CDBaby.com, click here:

 

If you want to purchase an autographed copy of "Alone At Last", please visit my eBay store:
http://stores.ebay.com/Ron-Keel-Merchandise

NEW CD REVIEWS:

 

 

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RECENT ARCHIVED NEWS:

A Tribute To

The time has come to share the details about a project that I have been developing for quite some time: STEERS & STRIPES - A Tribute To BROOKS & DUNN.

While singing Country music for the past 15 years, I have often gotten vocal comparisons to Ronnie Dunn, which I consider a huge compliment; Ronnie Dunn has one of the best Country voices of all time, a sweet high tenor with an amazing style and an ability to bring out the very best in every song he sings. I have been a B&D fan since the release of their first album, which led to the idea of trying to build a show that would pay tribute to the most successful vocal duo in Country Music history.

The concept started as a hobby, and progressed into much more. Our first show was September 4, 2004, at the Maury County Fair in Columbia Tennessee.

In 2005 I came to Las Vegas to showcase at the CIC (Celebrity Impersonator's Convention), and this led to me landing the role of Ronnie Dunn in the hit show "Country Music USA" in Laughlin, Nevada. I started with the show on October 15 2005, which runs for two weeks at a time throughout the year; and it has become one of the most enjoyable experiences of my career. Great music, a challenging role both vocally and visually, with awesome production, a great band and production team, and playing to packed houses and standing ovations nearly every night.  

Now with the renewal of our contract for Fall 2006 and beyond, and the expanding opportunities for this act and show, I am compelled to make it official and announce to my fans that Steers & Stripes and Country Music USA are an important part of my life and I will be continuing to explore those opportunities in the future. We have recently been venturing outside of Country Music USA to do headline performances at Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar & Grill" at Harrah's in Las Vegas, "Legends In Motion" near Birmingham Alabama, and various other venues.

I know that my many projects and identities have sometimes led to confusion among my fans and those who have attempted to keep up with my activities and understand the motivation behind them. I think it's obvious now after 25 years in this business that I am motivated by a sense of adventure, to climb new mountains and tackle new challenges, to have fun and entertain people along my journey through this life. This project is yet another extension of that desire.

This in no way affects my dedication to Rock & Metal, or my original music - and I assure you Ron Keel is alive and well and will continue to tour, record, and perform my own music. But I am very proud of my work with Steers & Stripes and Country Music USA, and felt that the time was right to share aspect of my life with my fans.

For a list of show dates, a photo gallery, and to view the Country Music USA/Steers & Stripes video demo, check out http://steersandstripes.net

For more about Brooks & Dunn, please visit http://www.brooks-dunn.com

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Ron Keel Now Endorsing In Tune Guitar Picks

I am pleased to announce our new endorsement with In Tune Guitar Picks. Thanks to the owner of the company, Bert LeCato, for making us part of his impressive artist endorsement roster and supplying us with the best picks in the business. NOW AVAILABLE: The Ron Keel Guitar Pick Collection, featuring 4 classic In Tune picks - KEEL, IronHorse, Ron Keel (black) & Ron Keel (white):

click on the Pick Collection to order yours now

The following is a little background on Bert and his company in his own words - please visit the In Tune Guitar Picks web site by clicking on the logo above.

"My name is Bert LeCato and I am the owner of In Tune Guitar Picks. I have been a paid and volunteer Fire Fighter for 13 years with music and guitar playing as my long time hobby. 5 years ago, I started In Tune Guitar Picks with the hopes of putting a stop to the poor quality and service that haunts the Pick Industry. I worked hard and I succeeded. I started printing a few hundred picks a month and now it is thousands a month. In Tune Guitar Picks was started in my garage and we are now located in a large facility with full manufacturing and customizing abilities. Even with our growth, I am personally involved with every order and day to day activities. We have even expanded into having a local Music store to provide the only instrument and accessory service in our community. We are a family and friend run business that works with everyone from the beginners rocking out in their garage, to the legends rocking out in the arenas. We want everyone to understand our approximate 3 to 4 week turnaround time as well. There are some companies out there that offer a very quick turnaround time. Due to our large order volume, we prefer to dedicate the time needed to each customer to ensure they receive the best possible product. Our growth has been phenomenal and it is all thanks to our clients, big or small. We are not going to go into why we think you should work with us. We simply offer a very high quality product with detailed and durable printing. We feel if you check out our sample page and client list, That says it all. The bottom line, “If you want to feel like a rock star and be treated like one, join the In Tune Family!” We will hook you up!"

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"Blitzkrieg: Ready For Action", produced by RK, released on CD by Retrospect Records

In 1985, as my career was taking off, I took Blitzkrieg, another LA band, under my wing and produced "Ready For Action". The project got a lot of attention in the media and sold very well, and has now been released for the first time ever on CD by Retrospect Records. To Order, click here:

http://retrospectrecords.com/Band/Blitzkrieg.htm

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Ronnie Lee Keel Sponsored by Pro Bull Riders

As Ronnie Lee Keel, I am very proud to announce my support of the Professional Bull Riders, and I'm honored to have been selected to represent the Toughest Sport On Dirt as one of PBR's Tennessee Ambassadors. I have been presented with a PBR Championship Belt Buckle with my name on it (only 20 other celebrities, one of which is Garth Brooks, have received this honor) and I am excited about my future involvement with this organization and these events.

The world of PBR combines excitement, sports, and entertainment, and I encourage everyone to visit their web site by clicking on the logo above.

Special thanks to John Dayton in Oklahoma City for extending this opportunity to me and making me a part of this great American family. I hope to make appearances and perform at rodeo events nationwide in the coming year and will of course announce those activities here as they are confirmed.

 

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