Garry's Corner, The tribute page to Garry W. Tallent

Ron LaSalle
	I had the pleasure of meeting Ron in a hot summer day in Nashville. He guided me and my wife through Moondog Studio and we had one of those five-minute-chats-by-the-car-door for a couple of hours: Music, Life, Friendship, Dreams, Love,... A heart full of soul... and a soul full of twang.
	BIO INTERVIEW USEFUL LINKS
A Nashville resident for the last 12 years, Ron LaSalle was born and raised in Niagara Falls, N.Y., where he began playing bass and writing songs with a blues band at age 14. His resume includes a long list of jobs in both the comercial and artistic sides of the music business: playing bass with Bo Didley, being a staff songwriter for EMI, producing records, cofounding D'ville Records with Garry and Tim Coats and fronting his own band, The East Side Rockers. Their busy touring schedule around the USA and Canada with an average of 300 shows a year has granted them a loyal court of fans. His music oozes Menphis soul, R&B, R&R, gospel, country, you-name-it and all I can say about his latest album "Too Angry To Pray" is that I put it into my car stereo in Nashville and went back to its case when I returned the car in NYC. It became the soundtrack of our coast to coast ride.
Ron kindly asked a few questions about him, his relationship with Garry and his plans for the future:

FD:- When and How did you meet Garry?
RL:-I met Garry through a mutual friend Bucky Baxter in 1990 I believe it was. I was a staff writer for EMI in Nashville and was very bored with the sounds of the demos I was doing. Bucky said he was a partner at Moondog with Garry Tallent. I was a Bass player for years before I ever wrote or sang and Garry happened to be in my top five favorites along with Duck Dunn James Jamerson Ron Carter and Stanley Clark.
I can’t remember the first song we recorded there but I remember thinking wow! Finally! guys that understand music. They put heart and soul into there recordings and it was fun again. We’ve been friends ever since.

Ron & East Side Rockers Live

FD:-Which projects have you worked together in?
I first worked with Garry when I was doing a small management company called Truth Management. I was building a label called Meridian Records for a band called the Floating men. I asked Garry to produce an album for them “Invoking Michael Angelo” (Great Record)

FD:- I know that you recorded an album together that was never released.
We never recorded what was going to be an album it was more of a piece meal type thing I was trying to do. Garry and Max played on three or four tracks they were great to work with. It was like being “The Boss” for a day LOL!! One of the tracks “Let Love Take the Blame” is on my MP3 site

Ron & East Side Rockers Live

FD:-Is possible to see it released in the future?
I would love to release it at some point but when? I have no clue at this moment. I have so many false starts records that are for all practical purposes finished that I never released because at some point I totally lost my confidence. Garry, Tim Coats and myself also founded D’Ville Records still to this day one of the better indies to come down the pike if I do say so myself. LOL! but the retail collapse of 96’ put us out of business we had some great acts most notably was Greg Trooper.

FD:-I know that you are busy touring around the country and doing a lot of shows every year, What are your plans for the future? keep on touring? Maybe a new record?
Both I love to tour more than anything, we are scheduled to go to Europe in January, I am very excited about that because in all these years I have never been there. but it’s just my luck, I get a chance to go and they start a war! (hey is that self centered or what?) LOL! I’m still trying to figure out this internet thing if you look at my web site it is really boring but I just keep writing trying to get more and more of the truth as I know it out. Yes there will be another new CD in 2002 for sure plus maybe a compilation of the older stuff I was talking about. Also I just had three of my songs used in Jeff Daniels( Dumb & Dumber) new movie called Super Sucker very funny flick about Vacuum sales men

FD:- Apart from this questions and the info that you sent me if there is something that you want me say to finish the article just let me know.
Yes! I’d like to say that Garry W. Tallent is one of the most honorable men I have ever met in my life. His integrity is unsurpassed in my book and I wish a billion pounds of good fortune on him. I feel very blessed to be able to count him among my friends

USEFUL LINKS:
- www.ronlasalle.com
- Ron's page at mp3s site
- Ron's page at CD Street

Follow the link to buy "Too Angry Too Pray" you won't regret it:

Too Angry To Pray

2006 Update: Ron's new album is goint to be released in the follwing weeks, I'll post a revew as soon as I hear it.