RON WADE 1935-2015
Ron Michael Wade was born at Iron Knob, S.A. on the 1st December, 1935. He showed a consistent interest in music and singing in his very young childhood years. With support from his mother, he saved and bought his first guitar at the age of 11. Ron had some guitar lessons, but was mainly self taught. He was very popular at the Iron Knob school and was in great demand for school concerts, and these were supported again by his mother, who made all his western clothes and painstakingly embroidered them with sequins and motives.
Ron Wade joined a local band at 15 years of age, and became the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist with this group. The feature of Ron's flavour of music was from such performers as Tex Morton and Buddy Williams, mainly all ballads. In the mid fifties Ron was invited to sing on Radio 5AU, Port Augusta, and this request denoted the commencement officially of Ron Wade's musical career at the age of 19. From this experience came an invitation from Bob Fricker on Radio 5AD asking Ron to join him every Saturday morning on his radio show "Mountain Music" At the time Ron was in his mid twenties, his style of music altered and he became interested in the sound of an American country singer, Merle Haggard. Having sang and played most of Merle's music, Ron became known as South Australia's Merle Haggard.
It was in his late twenties, when Ron formed his own Rock & Roll band and named it "The Cascades" and was in great demand. At this time he relocated himself to the Riverland in South Australia. He married and raised a family, thus delaying his musical career for a number of years, but the draw was too strong, and when Ron was asked to perform at a concert, it was then he returned to singing with a passion and this has remained a priority in his life. He formed his own band namely "The Dakotas" in 1990. To pay tribute to this person, as a true and dedicated pioneer of country music is a deserving reward for Ron Wade and his music. Ron was inducted into Rock's Country Music Hall of Fame at Barmera in 1996.
Ron and Lorraine can be contacted on (08) 8569 1845
