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To say that Ron Artis II plays music from his heart and soul would be a bit of understatement. With his family upbringing and incredible early success, you may even say it has been pre-ordained. So how does one of the great musical talents of his generation come seemingly out of nowhere? Well, that part of the mystery is easy to solve. He’s been paradise’s best kept secret for years and now he’s finally making big waves on the mainland and beyond.
Ron moved to Oahu with his family when he was only four years old, as one of eleven children, all of whom grew up immersed in a creative and religious household led by his musically gifted parents. Ron explains “My mother is a beautiful singer and my biggest influence on my approach to singing. My father was always the performer, the writer and arranger.”
While developing his multi-instrumental prowess playing in the Artis Family Band, Ron quickly took to piano and guitar as his main modes of expression. His mastery of both—in addition to numerous other instruments—quickly made evident that he was special. As he got older and played more around Oahu, others quickly recognized his gifts as well. Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac), Jack Johnson, Jake Shimabukuro and many others recognized the incredible talent that was taking root on their isolated island paradise and he has gone on to play with all of them and more across Hawaii’s most prestigious venues.
Those opportunities led to more exposure to artists from the mainland who, while they were touring the islands, all immediately recognized the unique talent they were witnessing. Booker T Jones, Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) and G Love all invited (and in some cases demanded) Ron to collaborate and encouraged him to share his music with the broader world.