Pop/Country Stylist Ronnie Dove Passes

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Pop balladeer Ronnie Dove passed away last week at age 91.

Between 1964 and 1969, he placed 21 singles on the Billboard hit parade, six of which became top-20 pop hits. All of them were recorded on Music Row with Nashville’s “A-Team” of session musicians.

Ronald Eugene Dove was born and raised in Virginia. While serving in the Coast Guard, in the 1950s, he began performing in Baltimore nightclubs. The city remained his home base throughout the rest of his long career.

After a stint performing and recording in the group The Bell-Tones, he signed as a solo artist with Diamond Records. Producer and label executive Phil Kahl brought Dove to Nashville to record at Fred Foster’s studio.

Their biggest successes were “Right Or Wrong” (written by Wanda Jackson) (1964), “One Kiss for Old Time’s Sake” (1965), “A Little Bit of Heaven” (1965), “When Liking Turns to Loving” (1966), “Let’s Start All Over Again” (1966) and “Cry” (1966). Peaking just outside the pop top-20 were “I’ll Make All Your Dreams Come True” (1965), “Kiss Away” (written by Billy Sherrill & Glenn Sutton) (1965), and a remake of the Eddy Arnold classic “I Really Don’t Want to Know” (1966).

Dove starred in his own Baltimore TV series in 1966. He guested on such national programs as American Bandstand, Where the Action Is, The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. He was named Billboard’s Top Easy Listening Artist of 1965.

In 1970, Diamond was sold to Nashville’s Certron Records. Dove subsequently recorded for several small labels and began aiming his ballads at the country-music market. He made minor ripples on the country charts with six singles in 1972-1987. His biggest country success came on Motown’s Melodyland label with his version of Bobby Darin’s “Things,” which rose to No. 25 in 1975. During the 1970s, he made the rounds of country’s TV shows —  That Nashville Music, Nashville Now, The Shotgun Red Variety Show, etc.

Dove opened his own nightclub in Baltimore and performed there regularly during the 1980s. He revived Diamond Records in 1987 and recorded a 1988 comeback album at Woodland Sound with producer James Stroud, among others.

The singer owned his own master recordings and repeatedly reissued his hits during the CD era. He continued to perform throughout the 1990s. He retired in 2023.

Dove died at home under hospice care on Sept. 15. He is survived by wife Marty, by children Michael, Ronnie Jr., Wayne, Don, Kelli, and Kimm and also by five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. There was no viewing; his body was cremated. There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date.

Robert K Oermann
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