RONSON, MARK - UPTOWN SPECIAL

Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, record producer, songwriter, and composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album "Back to Black" (2006), as well as awards for Record of the Year for Winehouse's single "Rehab" (2006) and his own single "Uptown Funk" (featuring Bruno Mars) (2014). He also won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy Award for co-writing "Shallow" (performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper) for the film "A Star Is Born" (2018). Ronson served as lead and executive producer for the soundtrack to the 2023 film "Barbie," directed by Greta Gerwig, and co-wrote several of its songs with Andrew Wyatt. The soundtrack won three Grammy Awards—"What Was I Made For?" won Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media, while the album won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media—from 11 nominations. It also received an Academy Award for Best Original Song from two nominations. Ronson collaborated again with Gerwig for the soundtrack to her adaptation of "Narnia: The Magician's Nephew" for Netflix. Ronson was born in Notting Hill, London, and raised in New York City. His stepfather is Mick Jones, guitarist for Foreigner. He was educated at the Collegiate School and Vassar College. While attending New York University, he became a prominent regional DJ specializing in hip hop. He signed with Elektra Records to release his debut album "Here Comes the Fuzz" (2003), which featured guest performances from American hip hop artists and received a moderate commercial response. He subsequently left Elektra and co-founded Allido Records, through which he released further projects and signed artists including Wale, Rhymefest, and Daniel Merriweather. By 2006, Ronson had gained wider recognition for producing albums and singles for Lily Allen, Christina Aguilera, and Amy Winehouse. He signed with Columbia Records and released the Motown-funk cover singles "Stop Me" (featuring Daniel Merriweather) and "Valerie" (featuring Amy Winehouse), both reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart. These singles preceded his second album "Version" (2007), which peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and earned him the Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist. His third album, "Record Collection" (2010), achieved similar chart positions and entered the U.S. Billboard 200. Ronson's single "Uptown Funk" (featuring Bruno Mars) (2014) achieved significant commercial success internationally, spending 14 consecutive weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and seven non-consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart. The single served as the lead release for his fourth album "Uptown Special" (2015), dedicated to Amy Winehouse, which reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and number five on the Billboard 200. In 2018, he founded the record label Zelig Records, an imprint of Columbia Records, and formed the duo Silk City with Diplo; their debut single "Electricity" (featuring Dua Lipa) won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. Ronson has been involved in charitable work, serving as a patron of the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which supports disadvantaged youth through music. He has contributed to the End the Silence campaign for the Hope and Homes for Children charity and served as a mentor at Turnaround Arts, a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts aimed at supporting low-performing schools through arts education. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.