Mark Ronson

Mark Ronson

Mark Ronson is a British DJ, producer, songwriter and composer from St John’s Wood, London. Born in 1975, he is known for work that crosses funk, pop, hip-hop, club, dance, dance-pop, electropop and alternative rock. He is also associated with the act Mark Ronson & The Business Intl, and with side-projects and groups including Silk City, Flip Squad Allstars, The Soundhustlers and Chauffeur.

Early life and background

Ronson is born in Notting Hill and raised in New York City. He is educated at the Collegiate School and Vassar College, and while studying at New York University he becomes a prominent regional DJ focused on hip hop. His stepfather is Mick Jones, the guitarist from Foreigner.

Recording career

Ronson signs to Elektra Records for his debut album, Here Comes the Fuzz, which is released in 2003 and features guest appearances from American hip hop artists. The record receives a moderate commercial response. He then leaves Elektra and co-founds Allido Records, through which he releases further projects and signs artists including Wale, Rhymefest and Daniel Merriweather.

By 2006, Ronson is widely recognised for producing albums and singles for Lily Allen, Christina Aguilera and Amy Winehouse. He signs to Columbia Records and releases the Motown-funk cover singles Stop Me, featuring Daniel Merriweather, and Valerie, featuring Amy Winehouse. Both singles reach number two on the UK Singles Chart.

Albums and major singles

Ronson’s second album, Version (2007), also reaches number two on the UK Albums Chart and wins him the Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist. His third album, Record Collection (2010), reaches a similar chart position and enters the US Billboard 200.

His single Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars, becomes a major international hit, spending 14 consecutive weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and seven non-consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart. It leads his fourth album, Uptown Special (2015), which is dedicated to Amy Winehouse. The album reaches number one on the UK Albums Chart and number five on the Billboard 200.

Awards and recognition

Ronson receives multiple Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Record of the Year for Winehouse’s Rehab, and another Record of the Year win for Uptown Funk. He also wins an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Grammy Award for co-writing Shallow, performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, for A Star Is Born.

He later serves as lead and executive producer for the soundtrack to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, co-writing several songs with Andrew Wyatt. The soundtrack wins three Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media for What Was I Made For?, and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for the album itself. It also receives an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Ronson also collaborates again with Gerwig on the soundtrack to her adaptation of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew for Netflix.

Other work and philanthropy

In 2018, Ronson founds Zelig Records, an imprint of Columbia Records, and forms Silk City with Diplo. Their debut single Electricity, featuring Dua Lipa, wins a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.

Outside recording, Ronson is a patron of the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which supports disadvantaged young people through music. He also contributes to the End the Silence campaign for Hope and Homes for Children and serves as a mentor at Turnaround Arts, a programme of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that supports low-performing schools through arts education.