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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to clubwire your pulse on the global electronic scene,

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<v Speaker 1>where beats drop, stories rise, and the dancefloor never forgets.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm your host, Eliza, and today we're turning down the

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<v Speaker 1>lights for a moment of reflection. The house music world

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<v Speaker 1>has lost one of its most soulful architects. Ron Carroll,

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<v Speaker 1>the legendary Chicago vocalist, DJ, producer, and all around force

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<v Speaker 1>of nature, has passed away at the age of fifty seven.

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<v Speaker 1>As news broke on September twenty first, twenty twenty five,

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<v Speaker 1>tributes poured in from every corner of the globe, painting

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<v Speaker 1>a picture of a man whose voice didn't just echo

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<v Speaker 1>through clubs, it lifted spirits, bridged generations, and defined the

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<v Speaker 1>very soul of house. Born Ronald Michael Carroll on April twentieth,

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen sixty eight, in the heart of Chicago, Ron's journey

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<v Speaker 1>into music was as organic as a gospel choir swelling

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<v Speaker 1>on a Sunday morning. Growing up, he sang in church choirs,

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<v Speaker 1>his voice honing that raw emotive power that would later

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<v Speaker 1>become his signature. But it was a teenage crush on

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<v Speaker 1>rock icons like Kiss that f sparked his rebellious fire

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<v Speaker 1>until a high school dance introduced him to the hypnotic

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<v Speaker 1>pulse of house music. That beat hit me like a revelation,

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<v Speaker 1>he once recalled in an interview describing how the genre's

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<v Speaker 1>underground energy flipped his world upside down. From there, Ron

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<v Speaker 1>dove headfirst into Chicago's burgeoning scene, blending his gospel roots

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<v Speaker 1>with the city's raw four on the floor innovation. By

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<v Speaker 1>his early twenties, Ron was already making waves on the

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<v Speaker 1>Illinois club circuit. His debut single, My Prayer, dropped in

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen ninety three on af Rhythm Mixed Sounds remixed by

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<v Speaker 1>house heavyweights like Ron, Trent Hula, and Kay Fingers, a

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<v Speaker 1>track that fused spiritual yearning with club ready grooves, setting

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<v Speaker 1>the tone for his career. But Ron wasn't content to

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<v Speaker 1>just sing. He was a multi hyphenitt maestro. As a songwriter,

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<v Speaker 1>He penned anthems that became house staples, most notably I

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<v Speaker 1>Get Lifted for Barbara Tucker, a euphoric call to arms

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<v Speaker 1>that's still a peak time destroyer in sets worldwide. Its

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<v Speaker 1>collaborations read like a who's who of electronic royalty from

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<v Speaker 1>Superfunk and French sensations, funky hooks to hard soul's deep dives,

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<v Speaker 1>Huxley's melodic twists, and even mainstream crossovers with C. C. Peniston,

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<v Speaker 1>Harry Romero, Hot since eighty two, David Ghetta, Kelly Rowland,

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<v Speaker 1>Axwell and Bob Sinclair, who could forget his velvet vocals

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<v Speaker 1>on Sinclair's Love Generation, or tribute tracks that turn house

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<v Speaker 1>into global pop anthems while keeping the underground heart intact.

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<v Speaker 1>Ron's discography is a treasure trove of under the radar

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<v Speaker 1>bangers over thirty years of releases on powerhouse labels like Defected, Glitterbox, Patcha,

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<v Speaker 1>Milk and Sugar Moon Harbor, and his own imprints Body

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<v Speaker 1>Music Chicago and Afro Disco Chicago. He wasn't just making music,

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<v Speaker 1>he was building bridges as a DJ and promoter, Ron

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<v Speaker 1>through his own parties when bookings dried up. Acting as

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<v Speaker 1>the ultimate connector between international stars and local Chicago talent.

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<v Speaker 1>He championed vocalists in a producer dominated world in sisting

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<v Speaker 1>they get top billing and fair shakes, a quiet revolution

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<v Speaker 1>that empowered a generation of singers to claim their spotlight.

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<v Speaker 1>Ron was the guy who'd pull up with promos in hand,

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<v Speaker 1>ready to hype everyone else's project before his own, remembers

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<v Speaker 1>a longtime collaborator from five Magazine. His recent remix of

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<v Speaker 1>the classic The Sermon by Twin and Billy O'Malley on

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<v Speaker 1>Afro Disco Chicago Pure Fire, proving his influence never dimmed.

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<v Speaker 1>Even in his final days, Ron was unstoppable. His last

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<v Speaker 1>performance lit up Chicago's Summer's Last Dance Festival, where his set,

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<v Speaker 1>a masterclass and soulful house, had the crowd lost in

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<v Speaker 1>the rhythm. He was slated to bring that energy to

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<v Speaker 1>Amsterdam Dance event Ade twenty twenty five, a testament to

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<v Speaker 1>his tireless global grind, but on September twenty first, the

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<v Speaker 1>music stopped too soon. No cause of death has been disclosed,

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<v Speaker 1>leaving fans and friends to grapple with the void. The

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<v Speaker 1>outpouring has been seismic. Ron wasn't just an icon, he

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<v Speaker 1>was family, posted the history of house music community on Facebook,

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<v Speaker 1>echoing sentiments from Djay's producers and fans alike. Instagram reels

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<v Speaker 1>from Chicago's scene highlight his unsung hero status with clips

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<v Speaker 1>of his live vocals over classics like Back Together sending chills.

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<v Speaker 1>Edm dot com called him one of house music's most

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<v Speaker 1>iconic voices, a legacy etched in every lyric that ever

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<v Speaker 1>made you move. And in a city like Chicago, where

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<v Speaker 1>house was born from black and queer resilience, Ron embodied

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<v Speaker 1>that spirit, warm, collaborative, forever pushing the sound forward as

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<v Speaker 1>we spin into the weekend. Club Wire dedicates this set

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<v Speaker 1>to Ron. Crank Up, I get lifted, feel that gospel

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<v Speaker 1>lift one more time, and remember, in house, we don't

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<v Speaker 1>say goodbye, we say see you on the dance floor.

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<v Speaker 1>Rest in beats, Ron Carrol, You've lifted us all. That's

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<v Speaker 1>it for this heartfelt edition of club Wire. Drop your

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<v Speaker 1>tributes in the comments, Share your favorite Ron track, and

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<v Speaker 1>stay wired to the scene until next time. Keep the

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<v Speaker 1>faith and the base high. Peace,