With Ronnie Laws, it has always been a family affair, and he and his siblings have, in their understated way, been among the most influential jazz artists of the past half centurey. Born on October 3, 1950, in Houston, Texas, Laws' musical journey began when he picked up the saxophone as a child, a path he shared with his talented siblings.
In the 1970s, Ronnie Laws rose to prominence, becoming a leading figure in the jazz fusion movement. His album Pressure Sensitive in 1975 was a watershed moment, a release that catapulted him to international stardom. It featured his first hit single "Always There," which climbed into the top half of the R&B charts, an accomplishment for an instrumental jazz fusion cut.
With Ronnie Laws, it has always been a family affair, and he and his siblings have, in their understated way, been among the most influential jazz artists of the past half centurey. Born on October 3, 1950, in Houston, Texas, Laws' musical journey began when he picked up the saxophone as a child, a path he shared with his talented siblings.
In the 1970s, Ronnie Laws rose to prominence, becoming a leading figure in the jazz fusion movement. His album Pressure Sensitive in 1975 was a watershed moment, a release that catapulted him to international stardom. It featured his first hit single "Always There," which climbed into the top half of the R&B charts, an accomplishment for an instrumental jazz fusion cut.
Following the success of Pressure Sensitive, Ronnie Laws continued to release a string of influential albums that solidified his status as a trailblazer in the world of smooth jazz. The follow ups, Feve and Friends and Strangers, both shot into the top 20, and his 1980 release, Every Generation, became his biggest success, hitting the top 5 on the R&B album charts. He also guested on several albums but such notable artists as Ramsey Lewis, Deniece Williams and Sister Sledge.
But Ronnie wasn’t alone in bringing the Laws name into musical success. His brother, flutist Hubert Laws and sister, singer Eloise Laws (with whom Ronnie collaborated and produced), were each making their own indelible mark on the music world in the late 70s and early 80s.
Laws continued to record into the new century, most recently landing with 2004’s Everlasting. And he continues to regularly perform at both festivals and clubs around the US.