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Ex-Rat gets his chance in big time
HULL DAILY MAIL
February 13, 1970
AFTER THREE YEARS
as guitarist for The Rats in Hull, Michael Ronson's break for the big-time comes on
Monday, when he sets course for London to work in a new group formed by pop-idol David
Bowie, whose disc "Space Oddity," hit the Top Ten last year.
It will be quite a weekend for Michael, who lives at 8,
Milford-grove, Hull, and who today says "goodbye" to his work with Hull Parks
Department and tomorrow announces his engagement to 16-year-old Denise Irvin, who, like
Michael, lives on Greatfield Estate - at 32, Bexhill-close.
For 23-year-old Michael his chance has not come too
soon. "My parents know that this is the only thing I have ever really wanted to
do, and I have often felt like banging my head against a brick wall through wondering why
I wasn't getting anywhere," he explained.
"Before I joined The Rats I did have a spell in
London after working as a van assistant for the Co-op here.
"But London was a real battle even just to live
and eat, and in the end I had to get a job in a garage because I wasn't earning enough
from my music.
"I still could not afford to live, so I came back
to Hull and a job with the Parks Department. At the moment I'm re-laying some school
football pitches," he went on.
Mentioned
Michael's chance as a pro with the new
group, which is called The David Bowie Hype, came through another Hull musician already
with Bowie in London--John Cambridge, who lived at 9, Brisbane Street off Hessler road.
John went to the big city eight months ago and worked
with Juniors Eyes before Bowie asked him to be his drummer.
John promptly mentioned Michael's name to Bowie, and
since then, as Michael says, "It's just all happened."
David Bowie will be in Hull this weekend looking for
some additions to his antiques collection and will take Michael back to London with him on
Monday.
"I've been offered jobs in London before,"
said Michael, "but nothing as secure as this.
"I didn't want to go back there and find myself in
debt with my equipment again, and the money from this job means I shall be able to live
properly.
"The Hype has a record, "Prettiest
Star," for release shortly and after that we shall be off on bookings up and down the
country," added Michael.
"The main thing for me now, what I'm really after,
is just to get myself known."
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