# Ron Altbach

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{{Short description|American keyboardist and songwriter (1946–2023)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| honorific_prefix    =
| name                = Ron Altbach
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| birth_name          = Ronald Steven Altbach
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1946|12|24}}
| birth_place         = [Olcott, New York](/source/Olcott%2C_New_York), U.S. 
| origin              =
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2023|02|21|1946|12|24}}
| death_place         = [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan), New York, U.S. 
| genre               =
| occupation          =
| instrument          = Piano, keyboards
| years_active        = <!-- YYYY–YYYY (or –present) -->
| label               =
| past_member_of     = [Celebration](/source/Celebration_(1970s_band)), [King Harvest](/source/King_Harvest), [The Beach Boys](/source/The_Beach_Boys)
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'''Ronald Steven Altbach''' (December 24, 1946 – February 21, 2023) was an American keyboardist and songwriter who co-founded French-American rock band [King Harvest](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Celebration_(1970s_band)), a group led by Beach Boys co-founder [Mike Love](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ron Altbach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Altbach) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Altbach?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.