Having completed his studies in economics and pilotage in 1969 while still known as Ronaldo Nogueira, the future Jovem Guarda idol Ronnie Von nevertheless aspired to a singing career. An introduction to the Brazilian Bitles led to an audition that so impressed the ensemble he was placed on their TV Excelsior program, Brazilian Bitles Club, the following week. Agnaldo Rayol subsequently booked him for the popular Corte Rayol Show on TV Record, where Von performed the Beatles number “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” credited to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. His debut single paired that track with his Portuguese rendering of “Girl,” titled “Meu Bem” and likewise drawn from the Lennon-McCartney catalog, quickly surpassing the earlier release in popularity. Although press speculation positioned him as a potential rival to Roberto Carlos, Von sidestepped the controversy by relocating to São Paulo. There he secured contracts with TV Record, which granted him his own program O Pequeno Mundo de Ronnie Von, and with Rádio Pan Americana, and he issued his first LP in November 1966. That year also brought the Roquette Pinto prize; in February 1967 he received the Chico Viola award for “Meu Bem.” The 1967 single “A Praça,” composed by Carlos Imperial, moved 22,000 copies within a fortnight and held the top chart position for a full month, prompting TV Excelsior of Rio de Janeiro to engage him. His second LP, O Novo Ídolo, appeared the same year, displacing Roberto Carlos from the summit of the parade while the double-sided single “Nossa Canção” reached fifth place and exceeded 100,000 units over twelve months. Ronnie Von Number 3, cut in 1967, featured the Os Mutantes as instrumentalists and a vocal contribution from Caetano Veloso on “Pra Chatear.” Von further distinguished himself by committing to disc the sole iê-iê-iê composition by Vinícius de Moraes, a noted critic of the style; the song, “Por Você,” written with Francisco Enóe, entered the soundtrack of the film Garota de Ipanema and appeared on an LP the same year. He also took acting roles in A Greve do Sorriso and, during the 1970s, in O Descarte. Maintaining a steady release schedule, he has produced multiple albums aimed at the Hispanic market while remaining a recurring television presence. Additional successes include “Pequeno Príncipe” and “Escuta, Meu Amor,” the latter written by Arnaldo Sacomani.
