Ron Ivory and One on One

Ron Ivory and his group One on One are a staple of performance venues like Nissi's and Colorado's outdoor community summer concerts. Fans appreciate the blend of Motown, classic soul and old school R&B the musicians offer, and audiences get up out of their seats for covers of classics from The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Al Greene and more. Ron talked to us about how this blend keeps audiences moving while at the same time moves them so that their night becomes something more than what they might expect.

Q: Can you talk a bit about how you're feeling about your upcoming Rock & Rails performance?

RI: I'm feeling really good. It's something myself and the band looks forward to. People at Rock & Rails always enjoy our music and our sets, they're up dancing, they're so cooperative. So I like the energy and the interaction with the audience.

Q: So, tell us a little about yourself. Who is Ron Ivory?

RI: I started my music career actually writing and composing songs when I was probably nine or ten – somewhere around there. Then, when I was hanging around with some buddies of mine who already had a group together, I would just chime in and sing harmony. One day they were so impressed that they asked me to join the group. That was really a huge turning point. At the same time, I never really thought about a music career. I just love writing songs and making up songs about things that I was going through.

Q: Can you talk about the passion you've had through the years and through all your performances? How has this passion grown and changed?

RI: I've always had the passion, the fire. Once I started singing with a group, my passion just seemed to grow. That's because I saw as I've gotten older and more proficient I noticed how much music impacts people emotionally. One of the most endearing things I remember about this happened with a couple was at one of our shows many years ago. They were on the fence about whether they were going to be together and so on and so forth. At the end, they came up to me and they said, "We decided to reconcile and it's because of your music, your passion." So that's the stuff I want to hear. When it really impacts a person or people emotionally and lifts their spirits, that's probably the biggest redeeming factor for me.

Q: That must have been an amazing moment.

RI: Oh it was. And always, we finish our night just pleasantly and emotionally exhausted – in a good way. And sometimes I think I must have been destined to perform. That's because, and not too many people know the story, but growing up I used to have the little figurines of soldier men. I'd have four of them or five and I'd make a mock-up stage like out of a shoebox. I'd have them giving concerts.

Q: So, when you're at Rock & Rails, what kind of mindset are you hoping people will have?

RI: I want them to have the mindset that anything they have going on, going through, they can let it go. They're going to have a good time and live for this moment. Let their hair down and kick the shoes off and just to be themselves. Be silly and be joyful and playful with each other.

Q: That sounds wonderful. Is there anything else you want audiences to know before they come to your show?

RI: I just hope the audience knows that for us as a band, it's important to have energy coming from us to them and them to us. It's almost like electricity without alternating currents. That's how it works. It can't work any other way.

Q: Fantastic. Thanks for talking to us, Ron.

RI: Thank you. And see you Thursday.