Ron Fair
The Catalyst
Ideas with a spark, energy, range and the ability to start things.
Ron Fair operates as The Catalyst, a leader who ignites transformation by channeling his own musical obsessions directly into the artists he touches. He invented a color-coded ad-lib composition system for Lady Marmalade, and he transmitted the Gamble and Huff harmonic tradition through Christina Aguilera without her knowing it.
“What gave me the balls and the authority to later on teach OJays to Christina Aguilera — little does she know that every background part was Gamble and Huff through the OJays, threw me to her, and she just soaked it up.”
On transmitting R&B lineage to popundated
“I gave them all names — upswoop, ski jump, big nose — then I played them in as a musical composition off keyboard. You get the free spirit of an ad lib but in the right location geographically.”
Describing Lady Marmalade ad-lib systemundated
“What wouldn't I do? What doesn't make sense? What am I going to avoid? It's a synapse, not just a contrivance — it's always baked into me after that.”
On counter-intuitive decision makingundated
R&B Money: “Ron Fair”
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