Ron Strykert facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Strykert
Strykert in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Ronald Graham Strykert
Born	(1957-08-18) 18 August 1957 (age 67) Korumburra, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Pop, rock, new wave, acoustic
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, percussion
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Columbia Records Le Coq Musique
Associated acts	Men at Work

Ronald Graham Strykert (born August 18, 1957) is an Australian musician. He is best known for being a co-founder and lead guitarist for the 1980s band Men at Work. He also helped write many of their songs.

Early Music Career

Ron Strykert started the band Men at Work in 1978 with Colin Hay. At first, they were an acoustic duo, meaning they played with guitars that didn't need to be plugged in. They often performed at a hotel called the Cricketer's Arms in Richmond, Australia.

From 1979 to 1985, Ron played guitar, sang, and sometimes played bass guitar for Men at Work. He was part of all three of their studio albums. He helped write many of their famous songs, including "Down Under" from their first album, Business as Usual. He even sang the main vocals on his own song, "Settle Down My Boy," which is on their second album, Cargo.

Ron's Unique Guitar Style

When Men at Work first started, Ron played bass guitar on some of their earliest recordings for a musical called Riff Raff. In 1980, when another bassist named John Rees joined the band, Ron became the lead guitarist.

Ron developed a very special way of playing the guitar. His style was full of energy. He could play long, smooth notes or quick, sharp notes. He often used a special Yamaha SC-800 guitar for his unique sound. Ron would sometimes "duel" with Colin Hay, playing back and forth with him. His guitar playing also blended well with the sounds of Greg Ham's keyboards, saxophone, and flute.

Leaving Men at Work

As a founding member, Ron was concerned when two other band members, Jerry Speiser and John Rees, left the group. While they were recording their album Two Hearts in 1985, Ron decided to leave Men at Work.

Songs Ron Wrote

Ron Strykert wrote or co-wrote many songs for Men at Work. Some of these include:

• "Keypunch Operator"
• "Down Under"
• "Crazy"
• "People Just Love to Play with Words"
• "Touching the Untouchables"
• "Settle Down My Boy"
• "Upstairs in My House"
• "I Like To"
• "Shintaro"
• "Sail to You"

Music Success

Ron Strykert was part of 13 singles released by Men at Work, and nine of them became popular hits. He also played on all three of their albums, and every one of those albums was very successful on the music charts.

Awards and Recognition

Ron Strykert and Men at Work won several important awards:

• In 1983, they won a Grammy Award for "Best New Artist" in the United States.
• Also in 1983, they won a Juno Award in Canada for "International LP of the Year" for their album Business as Usual.

Ron Strykert and Colin Hay also received special awards from the APRA Awards for their famous song "Down Under":

• They received a Special Award in 1985.
• The song was also ranked number 4 on the APRA Top 30 Australian songs list.

Solo Music

In 2003, Ron Strykert released his first solo album called Paradise. It was released on an independent music label called Le Coq Musique. Ron wrote and produced all the songs on this album himself. Some of the songs on Paradise include:

• "In The Air"
• "Heartbeat"
• "Do I Love You?"
• "Paradigm Shift"
• "Shiva Shambu"
• "Show Us The Way Home"
• "Love Train"
• "Sunrise"
• "Eternal Waves"