BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Full Name: Ralph Stuart Donner
Description: Vocalist, Composer, USA
Known For: “The Girl Of My Best Friend”
Instruments: Voice
Music Styles: Rock
Location: United States of America
Date Born: 10th February 1943
Location Born: Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Date Died: 6th April 1984
Location Died: Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Cause Of Death: Lung cancer
CONTACT DETAILS
Web Site:Official website
Other Links: See below:
YOUTUBE VIDEO
BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
Ral Donner
An early American rock and roll musician. He scored several pop hits in the US in the early 1960s, and had a voice similar to Elvis Presley’s. His best known song is his 1961 top ten hit, “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Until You Lose It)”.
Singer songwriter. Many say a clone of Elvis Presley and one must say his voice was very close,he died in 1984.
He sang in local talent shows as a teen, and formed two of his own bands, the Rockin’ Five and the Gents, in high school. The Rockin’ Five played with Sammy Davis, Jr. on Chicago television at one point in the late 1950s. In 1959, he appeared on Alan Freed’s Big Beat program, and released a single with The Gents; soon after, the Gents toured with The Sparkletones.
Donner recorded a cover of Presley’s “The Girl of My Best Friend”, along with a backing band called The Starfires. After being picked up by Gone Records, Donner re-recorded and rereleased the tune, which became a nationwide hit; some listeners even thought that the cover was in fact Elvis himself.
In 1981, he was asked to narrate Presley’s voice in the film, This Is Elvis.
Donner died of lung cancer on April 6, 1984.
Hit Singles
THE GIRL OF MY BEST FRIEND – 1961
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUV’E GOT – 1961
Albums Include
TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS – 1961
TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS – 1962
ELVIS SCRAPBOOK – 1977
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUV’E GOT – 1978
RAL DONNER,RAY SMITH AMD BOBBY DALE – 1978
THE DAY THE BEAT STOPPED – 1981 (Tribute record to Presley)
Links:
