Legendary Chicago vocalist, DJ, and songwriter Ron Carroll has passed away at the age of 57 after a heart attack.
Celebrated Chicago house music artist Ron Carroll, whose voice helped define the genre during its formative years and global expansion, has tragically passed away. Carroll’s longtime friend and fellow Chicago DJ Deonte Washington shared the news earlier today in a post on Facebook. In his post that paid homage to the iconic artist, another Chicago producer, Stacy Kidd, shared that he passed due to a heart attack.
Ron Carroll was born in Chicago in 1968 and grew up singing in church choirs. As house music began to take hold in the city, he immersed himself in the blossoming scene, bringing his gospel-influenced style along with him. This led to the release of “My Prayer,” his debut single in 1993 that helped pave the way for his decades-long run of impressive releases such as “Gimme Love” with Spero Pagos, “Classical Moments In Time” with Derrick May, and “Lucky Star” with Superfunk.
Carroll was notably featured on tracks such as Bob Sinclar’s “World of Love” and “What A Wonderful World” with Axwell, as well as Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman’s “Running” and Hardsouls’ “My Life.” He also wrote lyrics for other artists, such as Barbara Tucker, Stingily, and more.
Beyond his distinctive vocals and songwriting ability, Ron Carroll was a prolific DJ who helped bring the sound of Chicago house music to the rest of the world. He performed notable shows throughout North America, but touched down in cities in Asia, Europe, and South America during his career. Additionally, he co-created MOS Productions (for Ministers Of Sound), for the UC/Afterhours label.
Tributes to Ron Carroll have flooded in from artists and industry members since the news broke of his passing. “I will truly miss my dear friend, a beautiful soul who will forever live in our hearts,” said EDX on X. Others, like Green Velvet, Mark Farina, Mark Robinson, DJ Rip, DJ Ora, the Defected Records team, and more have joined in to share stories of his impact on their careers and more.
We here at EDM Identity express our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Ron Carroll during what can only be a difficult time.
