Verlin, Ron (29 April 1956

Bassist and co-founder of the power-pop group Shooting Star. The foundation for the band was laid in 1964 when childhood friends Van McLain and Ron Verlin lived a block away from each other in Kansas City and watched The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. They began playing guitar and, along with their respective brothers, started a garage band called The Shooting Stars. Fame would have to wait for the elementary schoolchildren, however, as the McLains moved away.

As luck would have it, McLain and Verlin wound up going to the same high school. They quickly got the band back together, along with dancing girls The Galaxys, no less, and sock-hopped onto the ’50s nostalgia bandwagon in the early ’70s.

A few years later, as the singer-songwriter trend was in full swing, McLain started crafting radio-friendly pop songs and the band eventually landed a contract with Virgin Records. Gus Dudgeon produced their eponymous debut in 1979. They released an album a year until 1983, when Verlin quit the band, disenchanted by their lack of success and the record industry in general. He was one of the first to sign up, however, when the band re-united for the aptly titled It’s Not Over in 1991, and has performed and recorded with them, off and on, ever since.

He also appeared in 2003’s Winston Apple Sessions with fellow band-members Van McLain and Steve Thomas. In 2006, the band was signed by Sandman Music Management. The same year saw the release of a new album entitled Circles. Fans will be happy to know an Anthology is now available.

Shooting Star recordings
Preview (Instrumental)/Straight Ahead (Van McLain/Gary West)
Straight Ahead (Van McLain/Gary West)

Here he is on bass with Shooting Star on “Tonite”…

Sources:

Verlin, Ron (29 April 1956 – Present)

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