Samantha Ronson

Samantha Ronson, active as singer, songwriter, guitarist, and DJ, incorporates elements of rock, hip-hop, and pop into her songs in a manner reminiscent of her older brother, DJ Mark Ronson. With Foreigner's Mick Jones as her stepfather, she began playing guitar while still young and started writing original material as a teenager, at which point she also launched her citywide DJ activities. Upon turning 19 she resolved to pursue music as both career and passion, gathering her friends into a backing band that supported her studio sessions and stage appearances. The resulting live shows and demo recordings earned her admirers such as Duncan Sheik and Roc-A-Fella head Damon Dash, an acquaintance from her DJ days. Dash responded to the strength of those recordings by signing Ronson as the first rock artist on the Roc-A-Fella roster; after sessions with songwriters Damon Elliott and Dallas Austin, her self-titled debut album appeared in summer 2004.