Ronnie Self

Ronnie Self (July 5, 1938 – August 28, 1981) was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter best known for his 1958 hit single "Bop-A-Lena," which appeared on the Billboard charts in the United States and Australia. His energetic live performances, diverse vocal range, and aggressive delivery, including guttural screams resulted in the moniker Mr. Frantic. Despite limited commercial success as a performer, he wrote and composed songs for Decca Records artists. Multiple musicologists have retrospectively cited Self as an influence on the development of garage rock and proto-punk, due to their raw sound and intensity. Music historian Colin Escott described "Bop-A-Lena" as "the first punk record."

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