ABOUT RON 'BUMBLEFOOT' THAL

Born & raised in NYC, Ron heard the Kiss Alive! album at age 5 and was inspired to become a musician.  By age 6 he started a band, was writing songs, made a multi-track studio out of portable cassette recorders, designed merch and played local shows.

Started studying music at age 7.  Began teaching music at age 13, giving private guitar, bass, vocal and music theory instruction.

As a teenager, Ron would build his own unusual guitars, learned to play Van Halen's 'Eruption' backwards, and would play Bach's 'Bouree' with his feet. 


 Photo: Ron's home-made 'Swiss Cheese' guitar

Throughout his teenage years and 20's, Ron was playing in cover bands, gigging with his original band, recording his own music and producing other bands, giving private guitar lessons, and started appearing on instrumental comp CDs.

By 19, he was teaching at music stores and schools in NYC and NJ. In his early 20's, Ron set up and ran the music department at a school in NJ, including music for children, music history, music theory, a gospel choir, jazz band, and instrument lessons. Since 2003, Ron's been a Professor at SUNY Purchase, teaching music production.

Since the early 90's, Ron released 9 CDs, a live DVD, numerous appearances on comp CDs and guest performances on other albums. On the cover of guitar magazines over the last 10 years, international headlining tours and festivals.  A true DIY indie artist - his own songwriter, band, studio, engineer, producer, manager, record label, promoter, publisher, publicist, booking agent, accountant... all of it.  The latest Bumblefoot albums are "Abnormal" (July 2008) and an acoustic ep "Barefoot" (Dec. 2008).

Been a member of Guns N' Roses, touring & recording since May 2006. Sold-out shows in 40 countries, headlining festivals with crowds of 150,000. Appears on every song on the 'Chinese Democracy' album.

Songwriter for Carlin Publishing library, for other artists, TV jingles, theme songs and background music. Has written for classical instruments and orchestras. Hired by bands/labels for the past 20 years as a producer. Wrote the theme song to the SpikeTV show "MXC", theme to VH1's "That Metal Show", music for the NY Islanders hockey team '08-'09 season, an entire SEGA video game soundtrack. In the past year his music has been internationally on Smallville, WWE Raw, Red Bull's Air Race TV series, and MTV/VH1's Hogan Knows Best, Real World, Pimp My Ride, Next, My Super Sweet 16, Osbournes, Made, Date My Mom, Road Rules, Extreme Elimination, You've Got A Friend, Clone High, Sausage Factory, Power Girls, and plenty more.

In 2002, Ron got a 2nd house in NJ and converted it into a recording/mastering studio, where he does all his recording and collaborating.  Has also been rented out as a photo studio, to shoot music videos, webcasts and TV shows.  Ron was hired by FuseTV's "Talking Metal on Fuse" ('07/'08) to record/mix & master live performances on the show - performed on the debut, recorded/performed with Zakk Wylde, recorded Exodus, members of Dream Theater, Anthrax, Twisted Sister, Overkill, Iced Earth, In This Moment, God Forbid and more.

Hired guitarist, bassist and singer for recordings and live performances - guest on stage with Joe Satriani (2004), has toured the US & Europe as guest guitarist with Lita Ford (2009), laid guitar tracks for Jessica Simpson ("Irresistible" dance mix), laid guitar tracks for the music of CNN Turkey (1999).

Clinics and master-classes at schools and venues, international clinic tours over the past 10 years, and lots of articles and videos for websites and major guitar magazines in the US, Europe, and Japan. Guest instructor/performer at Raleigh Music Academy (NC), Tone Merchants (CA), National Guitar Workshop (FL), Freak Guitar Camp (Sweden), MusicFest (Russia), and a music coach on MTV's "Made".

Ron is on the Board Of Directors of the MS Research Foundation, released his '9.11' CD in late 2001 and donated 100% profits to the Red Cross. He has donated songs and performances to fundraising CDs, often donating autographed CDs, shirts, photos for charitable auctions. Co-organized and performed at a fundraiser in Las Vegas in 2008, for diabetes research and children's hospital. Performed at a Navy Seals Benefit Concert (Coronado CA, 2009), performed with Allen Toussaint at Music Rising “Icons of Music” (NYC, 2007), hosted by Gibson & U2's The Edge, auction raised 2.4 million dollars for musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. Guest guitarist for Nancy Sinatra & Cyndi Lauper at a benefit concert for Oxfam's Tsunami Relief & Global Emergency Fund (NYC, 2005). Guest guitarist with Turkish composer Fahir Atakoglu, concert For The Earthquake Relief Fund (Washington DC, 1999)

Ron uses Vigier guitars, Dimarzio pickups, Engl amps & Ernie Ball strings.

Future endeavors include cartoon voice-overs & his own line of hot sauces.