Ronnie Dove

Born: September 7, 1940 in Herndon, VA
Active In: 60's, 70's, 80's

Ronnie Dove was born in Herndon, VA, but the pubs of Baltimore were his performance training ground. After a stint in the Coast Guard, he formed Ronnie Dove & the Belltones, and the group gigged throughout Baltimore and the East Coast for the next four years. In 1959, the band cut the single "Lover Boy" as its debut release; their only other recorded output was a rendition of Buddy Knox's "Party Doll" for Decca in 1963. Dove left the Belltones soon after, and landed in Nashville. There he singed a contract with the Diamond label and released his first solo single, "Sweeter Than Sugar." But it was 1964's "Say You" that really established Dove. The cut broke into the Top 20 and began a series of major pop hits.

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