| Ron Hacker was born January 25, 1945 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was brought up without a real family as his dad died when he was four years old and his mother rejected him and his brother, thus church women, aunts and uncles had to take care. All of this only helped to turn Ron into a mean-ass little kid, as he says himself. Bad luck? Well, at least it helped him to find the blues when he - only eleven years old - was sent to the juvenile center for breaking into parking meters. There he got in touch with the blues which wasn't played in his white neighborhood. When Ron moved to the Bay Area for the first time in the 60s with his brother, he did drugs too. When he heard Elmore James stuff in one of the dealer's houses he wanted to play the blues like Elmore and that's when he bought his first guitar for five dollars. Being white and playing acoustic slide doesn't make you a blues musician exactly, so it was Ron's lifetime luck - once he returned to Indianapolis in the early 70s - when a DJ asked him if he wanted to meet James "Yank" Rachell. Ron didn't really know who that guy was but Yank changed his life. Yank Rachell, once partner of Sleepy John Estes taught Ron about the Delta Blues and implemented one important message into Ron, i.e. he should never let these blues die. That's where Ron's mission started and where the mean-ass little kid started to turn into the great electric slide guitar player he is today. Back in the Bay Area Ron started to play solo for eight years and then formed his first band at the end of the 70s being named the Hacksaws from the beginning. There have been various versions of the Hacksaws through all the years - some of the musicans are listed in the discography underneath. Ron's first album was actually "No Pretty Songs" which was recorded in 1988. The album features original songs and several blues standards and was re-released with two bonus tracks in 1994. The album is dedicated to James "Yank" Rachell and has several good songs to offer and most amazing is The San Francisco Men's Blues Chorus that consists of 30 (!!!) well known Bay Area blues musicans who can only be heard during the last few seconds of the song. "Barstool Blues" is Ron Hacker's second album and a progession indeed. One reason might be that the album was recorded at The Saloon, North Beach, San Francisco which is a second home to Ron. Again most of the songs are blues standards written by people like Elmore James, Robert Johnson or John Estes and Ron really keeps that blues alive. Only "Hacksaw Man" is written by Ron and easily keeps up with the rest of the album. Nancy Wright's saxophone is a nice addition as well. The next album "I Got Tattooed" was an all live acoustic album and as the writer of these lines hasn't had the chance to listen to it, all that can be said now is, that Ron wasn't exactly happy with the outcome. The fourth album "Back Door Man", a Saloon Recording again, is a killer album indeed and shows Ron Hacker and the Hacksaws at their best. Backed by Artis Joyce and Shad Harris, Ron created a power-trio that knows how to play and present all those old slide blues songs as if they were new. The band's fifths album - now with Ronnie Smith on drums - does just the same. It secures Ron Hacker and the Hacksaws a place among San Francisco's blues greats and if you haven't bought any of their albums yet, do so now. It can't get much better!!! |  |
In 2007 two CDs were released: Ron Hacker and the Hacksaws released "The Hacksaws Live In Holland" and Ron released his first solo album entitled "Mr. Bad Boy" which was recorded live in Minneapolis, MN (USA) on 12/31/06 at Famous Dave's.
Discography | 
| In 2005/2006 Ron Hacker released a book about his life which can be ordered from Ron Hacker's website. "... Ron Hacker hasn't produced the biography of a blues musician, but the story of a man who would eventually be drawn to the blues, and one that has lived the life, irrespective of his colour or geographical background." Bill Hutchinson (Blues Matters) |
 | Ron Hacker And The Hacksaws No Pretty Songs (Hacksaw Records 1988/1994) | I Do Not Dance With Short Girls -- Howlin' For My Darlin' -- No Place To Go -- Baby Please Don't Go -- If You See My Baby -- I Ask Sweet Momma -- Two Women -- Takin' Care Of Business -- House Rent Blues -- Rollin' Stone -- Goin' To Brownsville -- Snake Dancin' -- Blues For Yank Recorded 1988 at CD Studios & Wellhausen Studios, San Francisco, CA. Musicians: Ron Hacker (guitar/vocals), Eric Mosbarger (drums), Dave Wellhausen (harp), Fly Brooks (bass), Gary James (drums) Guest musicians: Jo Baker, John Firmin, Johnny Nitro, Lee Parvin, Randy Pattray, Buddy Reed, Hurricane Sam, Ron Thompson, Nancy Wright, The San Francisco Mens Blues Chorus | |
 | Ron Hacker And The Hacksaws Barstool Blues (Hacksaw Records 1990) | Shake Your Money Maker -- If You Love Me (Like You Say) -- Kind-Hearted Woman -- Don't Mess With My Man -- Almost Grown -- Hacksaw Man -- Going To Brownsville Recorded live at The Saloon, North Beach, San Francisco. Musicians: Ron Hacker (guitar/vocals), Steve Hazlewood (bass), Eric Mosbarger (drums), Nancy Wright (saxophones) | Out of print! Try eBay GEMM ... |
 | Ron Hacker And The Hacksaws I Got Tattooed (Hacksaw Records 1995) | One Wife Too Many -- I Asked Sweet Momma -- Redcross Store -- Last Go Round -- Death Letter Blues -- Two Women -- Big Leg Woman -- You Got To Move -- I Got Tattooed Live acoustic blues. Musicians: Ron Hacker (guitar/vocals), Johnnie V (guitar/bgvocals, Eugene Huggins (harmonica/bgvocals), Slim Snake (guitar). | Out of print! Try eBay GEMM ... |
 | Ron Hacker And The Hacksaws Back Door Man (The Saloon Recordings 2000) | Big Brown Eyes -- Two Timin' Woman -- Back Door Man -- My Bad Boy -- Mambo for Albert -- Ax Sweet Mama -- Yank Told Me -- Hear Me Sing Like Elmore James -- I'm Gonna Miss You Like the Devil -- Hate to See You Go -- I Got Tattooed -- Diddley Widdley -- Come On In My Kitchen Musicians: Ron Hacker (guitar/vocals), Artis Joyce (bass), Shad Harris (drums) |  from artist! |
 | Ron Hacker And The Hacksaws Burnin' (Hacksaw Records 2003) | 32/20 -- Peach Tree Blues -- Stranger Blues -- Welfare Store -- Keep Your Hands Off Her -- Prison Mind -- Mailman Blues -- Almost Grown -- Broke And Hungry -- Red Cross Store -- Fool For Your Stockings -- Burnin' Musicians: Ron Hacker (guitar/vocals), Artis Joyce (bass), Ronnie Smith (drums) | from artist! |
 | Ron Hacker And The Hacksaws The Hacksaws Live In Holland (Hacksaw Records 2007) | Tracklist/musicians coming soon. | from artist! |
 | Ron Hacker Mr. Bad Boy (maximumfolk.com 2007) | Broke and Hungry -- Goin' Away Baby - Welfare Store -- Bad Boy -- Let Me Sing Like Elmore James -- Big Brown Eyes -- Trouble In Mind -- Ax Sweet Mama -- Come On In My Kitchen |  |
| Further Links:
Official Website
Videos, live dates, etc.
Great interview with Ron Hacker by Maureen Hayes (Sonoma Tunes) |  |
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