Ron Hardy facts for kids

Ron Hardy (born May 8, 1958 – died March 2, 1992) was an American DJ and music producer. He was based in Chicago, Illinois. Ron Hardy was a very important person in the early days of house music. He is famous for playing music at the Muzic Box, a well-known house music club in Chicago. Even many years after he passed away, people remember him for his creative ways of mixing and editing disco, soul music, funk, and early house music.

Early DJ Career

Ron Hardy began his DJ journey in 1974 in Chicago. He started at a club called Den One. His setup included two turntables, a mixer, and a reel-to-reel tape player. He would play underground dance music all night long.

Around 1977, he moved to Los Angeles to work. In late 1982, another famous DJ, Frankie Knuckles, left the Warehouse club. Ron Hardy then became the main DJ at the Warehouse's new location. Later, the club's owner, Robert Williams, changed its name to "The Music Box."

In 1986, producer Chip E. helped Hardy start making his own music. They worked together to mix a song called "Donnie" by The It. This song featured artists like Chip E., Larry Heard, Robert Owens, and Harri Dennis. Ron Hardy's work, even from these early beginnings, greatly influenced house music.

Ron Hardy's Mixing Style

While DJ Frankie Knuckles had a smooth way of playing music, Ron Hardy was known for his wild and energetic style. He didn't always worry about perfect sound quality. Instead, he would mix all kinds of music. This included classic disco from Philadelphia, Italo disco (disco music from Italy), new wave, and rock songs.

Hardy also played records much faster than other DJs. This is called "pitching up" a record. The pitch changes how fast or slow a song plays. For example, techno artist Derrick May remembers Ron Hardy playing a Stevie Wonder song at its fastest possible speed.

Ron Hardy's style created a lot of excitement on the dance floor. He built up tension in his mixes, then released it, keeping the crowd at The Music Box moving. Unlike Frankie Knuckles, Hardy's mark on house music was his endless energy. He used many different tricks to keep the audience surprised. People who went to The Music Box remember how loud it was. The bass was so strong it would make you feel the music physically, no matter where you were in the club! All these things, plus Hardy's passion for the music, made the dance floor very intense.

Special DJ Tricks

Ron Hardy often used "reel-to-reel edits." These were special versions of songs he had changed himself. He was always adjusting the sound system and playing with the EQ. The EQ lets you change the bass, mid-range, and treble sounds.

One of Ron Hardy's most famous tricks was playing a song backward. Some people say he did this by turning the record needle upside down. Then he would put the record on a cylinder so the needle played the underside of the record. Others say he used his reel-to-reel machine to play the music backward. His club, The Music Box, was also famous for its incredibly loud sound.

Favorite Songs in the 1980s

Ron Hardy often started his nights with "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Besides classic disco, which was popular in Chicago clubs, he would play many different tracks. Some examples include Visage - "Frequency 7", Klein & MBO - "Dirty Talk", ESG - "Moody", Patrick Adams - "Big Phreek", Liquid Liquid - "Optimo", First Choice - "Let No Man Put Asunder", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Eurythmics - "Sweet Dreams", and Talk Talk - "It's My Life". He also played music from electronic body music groups like Nitzer Ebb.

How Chicago House Music Began

In the early 1980s, many DJs and clubgoers in Chicago started making their own rhythm tracks. DJs would play these homemade songs, and that's how house music was born in Chicago. Ron Hardy often got the newest and hottest "acetates" (special demo records) and tapes.

Many Chicago producers, like Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard, Adonis, Phuture's DJ Pierre, and Chip E., first played their new songs at The Muzic Box. One time, DJ Pierre and his friends Herb and Spanky made a strange, squelching rhythm track using a Roland TB 303 bassline machine. They gave this track to Ron Hardy.

The first time Hardy played it, the dancers left the floor because it was so new and different. But Hardy played the track three more times that night. By the fourth time, the audience loved it and was dancing wildly! This track became famous as "Acid Tracks" and was released by the band Phuture.

Ron Hardy played many of the same songs as other DJs in Chicago. However, his energetic DJ style, loud music, willingness to try new sounds, and the special feeling of The Music Box made him a pioneer in house music. He continued to be a successful DJ at The Music Box until the late 1980s. He quickly started playing more and more house music in his sets.

Later Life and Passing

In early 1987, Chicago passed a new rule. It made after-hours clubs close at the same time as bars. The Music Box was one of many clubs that had to close. After The Music Box shut down, Ron Hardy continued to DJ at different events around Chicago. He passed away on March 2, 1992.

After his death, some special records called "Ron's edits" were released in 2004. In 2005, his nephew Bill started Partehardy Records. This label released real edits by Ron Hardy that hadn't been heard in over 20 years. There are also other collections of edits called "Music Box." These either have real Hardy edits or are tributes by other DJs trying to copy his style. DJ Theo Parrish also made tribute remixes called "Ugly Edits," which sound a lot like Hardy's work. Some of DJ Harvey's Black Cock edits are also tributes to Hardy's style.

Besides his DJ mixes, some of Ron Hardy's original music productions have also been found. One of these is "Throwback 87," which he made with Gene Hunt.

Ron Hardy also has a special section about him on the second DVD of the DJ documentary Maestro.

See also

In Spanish: Ron Hardy para niños