Ronnie Mack facts for kids

Ronald Augustus Mack (born July 11, 1940 – died November 5, 1963) was an American songwriter and singer. He also helped manage musical groups. Ronnie Mack is best known for writing the song "He's So Fine". This song became a number one hit in 1963 for the group the Chiffons. His song also seemed to inspire George Harrison's famous song "My Sweet Lord". Sadly, Ronnie Mack passed away young. His story is said to have inspired the songwriters Holland–Dozier–Holland to write the song "Jimmy Mack".

Ronnie Mack's Early Life and Music Career

Ronnie Mack, often called Rocco by his friends, grew up in Harlem, New York City. He loved music from a young age and taught himself to play the piano. By the mid-1950s, he started writing his own songs. He also sang in a doo-wop group called the Marquis. This group was special because it had a female lead singer, June Bateman. In 1956, the Marquis recorded a song called "Bohemian Daddy," which Ronnie helped write.

After the Marquis group broke up, Ronnie formed a new group called the Highlights. This group included a singer named Joyce Peterson. However, the Highlights never released any recordings.

Writing Songs and Managing Groups

Ronnie Mack later moved to the Bronx but stayed in touch with his friends in Harlem. He kept writing songs and began to manage a vocal group called the Young Lads. He suggested they add a female singer, Sylvia Peterson, who was Joyce Peterson's younger sister.

The group then changed its name to Four Bees and a Gee. This name meant "four boys and a girl." They tried out for Richie Barrett at Gone Records with several of Ronnie's songs. Barrett renamed the group the Tops. He recorded one of Ronnie's upbeat songs, "Puppy Love." This was a different song from the famous "Puppy Love" by Paul Anka.

The song "Puppy Love" was first released in 1958. It was credited to Little Jimmy Rivers and the Tops. In 1961, the song was re-released and became more popular in Philadelphia. Jimmy Rivers even performed it on the TV show American Bandstand. However, it did not become a national hit.

The Chiffons and "He's So Fine"

While in the Bronx, Ronnie Mack heard three students from James Monroe High School singing. He suggested that Sylvia Peterson join them. Ronnie then rewrote one of his songs, "She's So Fine." He had originally written it about Sylvia. He changed the words so the new girl group could sing it as "He's So Fine."

Ronnie renamed the group the Chiffons. They made a demo recording of several of his songs. Ronnie took these recordings to Hank Medress at Bright Tunes. This was a music publishing company started by members of the Tokens. Jay Siegel of the Tokens later said that Ronnie's songs had "the most incredible lyrics." He believed Ronnie would have been one of the most successful songwriters of the 1960s if he had lived longer.

The Chiffons re-recorded "He's So Fine" with members of the Tokens. The famous musician Carole King played piano on the song. Laurie Records released it in late 1962. In March 1963, "He's So Fine" reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B chart. The Chiffons also recorded another of Ronnie's songs, "Lucky Me," but it was not as successful.

Ronnie Mack's Legacy

By the time "He's So Fine" became a hit, Ronnie Mack was very sick with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. He passed away in 1963 at the age of 23. The money from "He's So Fine" helped his family rise out of poverty.

After Ronnie's death, his mother, Louise Mack, attended an awards event for songwriters. Her son won an award for "He's So Fine." When she accepted the award, she gave a very touching speech. Songwriters Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland were there. They were inspired by her speech and remembered Ronnie's name. They then wrote the song "Jimmy Mack," which has the famous line "Jimmy Mack, when are you comin' back?" Martha and the Vandellas recorded "Jimmy Mack" in 1964, and it became a big hit for them in 1967.

Bright Tunes Music, the company that owned the rights to "He's So Fine," later won a lawsuit against George Harrison. This happened because Harrison's song "My Sweet Lord" sounded very similar to "He's So Fine." The court decided that Harrison had "subconsciously copied" Ronnie Mack's tune. A large part of the money from this lawsuit went to Ronnie Mack's family.