{{Short description|American keyboardist and songwriter (1946–2023)}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Ron Altbach | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = Ronald Steven Altbach | birth_date = {{birth date|1946|12|24}} | birth_place = Olcott, New York, U.S. | origin = | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|02|21|1946|12|24}} | death_place = Manhattan, New York, U.S. | genre = | occupation = | instrument = Piano, keyboards | years_active = <!-- YYYY–YYYY (or –present) --> | label = | past_member_of = Celebration, King Harvest, The Beach Boys | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | notable_instruments = | module = | module2 = | module3 = }}
'''Ronald Steven Altbach''' (December 24, 1946 – February 21, 2023) was an American keyboardist and songwriter who co-founded French-American rock band King Harvest,<ref name="Harvest">{{cite web |title=Home Page |url=https://kingharvest.us |website=King Harvest |access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref><ref name="buffalo">{{cite news |title=King Harvest honors 'Doc' in moonlight Edit Share Print Download |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119607906/king-harvest-honors-doc-in-moonlight/ |access-date=24 February 2023 |publisher=The Buffalo News |date=7 July 2013 |location=Buffalo, New York |pages=87}}</ref> and played the Wurlitzer electric piano intro on their single "Dancing in the Moonlight" (1972).<ref>{{cite news |title=Olcott 'Dancing in the Moonlight' Saturday |url=https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2012/07/13/107132/olcott-dancing-in-the-moonlight-saturday |access-date=24 February 2023 |publisher=Niagara Frontier Publications |date=13 July 2012}}</ref><ref name=Mann2003 /> He later became a session keyboardist for The Beach Boys<ref name="Wright2014">{{cite book|last=Wright|first=Gary|authorlink=Gary Wright|title=Dream Weaver Deluxe: A Memoir; Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cs35AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT48|date=2014|publisher=Penguin Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-698-19449-6|page=48}}</ref> and penned songs for the group.<ref name="Mann2003">{{cite book|last=Mann|first=Brent|title=99 Red Balloons--: And 100 All-time One-hit Wonders|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a2WgP8q0KNIC&pg=PA157|year=2003|publisher=Citadel Press|isbn=978-0-8065-2516-7|page=157}}</ref> Altbach was a member of Celebration, a group led by Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love.<ref name="buffalo"/> In 1979, Altbach played keyboards in the band Clean Athletic & Talented (C.A.T.); the band, including John Huff, recorded an album.
Altbach's contributions to the Beach Boys include co-producing ''M.I.U. Album'' (1978)<ref name="Lambert2007">{{cite book|last=Lambert|first=Philip|title=Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA315|year=2007|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4411-0748-0|page=315}}</ref> and co-writing songs such as "Belles of Paris", "She's Got Rhythm",<ref name="Mann2003"/> and "Alone on Christmas Day".<ref name=RSNov6>{{cite journal|last1=Blistein|first1=Jon|title=Hear Mike Love's Spirited, Bittersweet New Christmas Song|journal=Rolling Stone|date=November 6, 2015|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-mike-loves-spirited-bittersweet-new-christmas-song-20151106}}</ref>
Altbach died on February 21, 2023, at the age of 76.<ref name="Harvest"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Our dear friend Ron Altbach passed away after being in a coma for several days. |url=https://twitter.com/MikeLoveOFCL/status/1628803130266877952 |website=Mike Love on Twitter |access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{discogs artist|Ron Altbach}} * {{IMDb name|0022686}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Altbach, Ron}} Category:1946 births Category:2023 deaths Category:20th-century American pianists Category:21st-century American pianists Category:21st-century American male pianists Category:Cornell University alumni