Born on November 11th, 1961, Ron was captivated at an early age with music. Even before he took his first guitar lesson he would spend many nights in his room strumming his guitar to the old Sun Record recordings of Johnny Cash that his parents had given him.

He started taking guitar lessons at the age of 8. He has also been writing his own music since High School.

Ron has performed as a soloist for many years in various parts of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Including the Pioneer Tap & Circle Inn in Forest Park, Lincoln Tap, Quenchers, Windy Cindy's, the Hotti Biscotti in Chicago, and the Java & juice in Naperville. He has just recently put together and has started to play with 'The Hard Times Band" in many of the same places.

He is the President of The Chicago Songwriters Collective, and a member of C.H.A.T. and the Chicago chapter of Just Plain Folks. Organizations that help further the careers of independent artists through networking, promoting and providing performing opportunities.

His Debut CD with the hard times band entitled, "Hard Times in the Heartland" has been well received in its limited exposure. It has been the featured CD on the 440-music.com Internet radio show titled "The No Non-Smoking Zone' with some of the songs going into their rotation and has been one of their most requested CD's. The CD has also received air play on the College of DuPage radio station. Ron and the band have appeared on UIC'S radio program titled 'Music New and Used' with Charlie McShane and have been filmed live for the north/northwest suburban television show "The Claude Show." "Pine Creek Road," the song that kicks off the CD just recently won an award in a best song contest at a Nashville song-writing seminar and is getting some interest in Nashville. The CD has been bought by people across the U.S. and overseas from the Internet online music store cdbaby.com that is selling it.

His musical style is one that is influenced not only by the more traditional styles and sounds of older country music but also by both today's country music and midwest roots rock. Sometimes he combines all these influences. Sometimes it's only one particular style but they all have that Midwest roots feel to them. That's why he calls it "Heartland Music."

Due to the large number of influential artists that Ron has been exposed to over the years. The style of the songs that Ron might play on any given night regardless whether it is his own or a cover of someone else's song, he can change from song to song during the course of the performance. And it doesn't matter if Ron is playing with or without The Hard Times Band. It is the willingness to use and draw from that large influence base that sets him and the band apart from other groups and gives them such versatility and one of the few acts that can actually be called "country rock" because they actually play both. Whether it's one style or the other or a show with both, it doesn't matter to them. There's always something for everyone before the end of the night.

The group received it's name when Ron and Rik Kroll (the group's former drummer) were thinking of what to call the guys playing Ron's songs in support of his debut CD "Hard Times in the Heartland." Both envisioned a band that would use not only classic cover songs from both rock and country but also other great songs that nobody was playing to build around the bands own original material. They envisioned the band line-up consisting of the people who played on the CD. As it turned out, this was not to be because the CD took six years to complete and they lost contact with the guitarist and had creative differences with the bass player. Ron and Rik recruited two new members to the group that only strengthened the bands ability to play a wide range of music. In the spring of 2002, after the CD had received some Internet airplay and a live in studio Radio performance and local cable TV access, Rik left due to an ever-increasing workload at home and with other projects. But his replacement has only broadened the bands ability to mix styles with the best of them. The style of the songs that Ron and The Hard Times Band might play on any given night regardless whether it is his own or a cover of someone else's, they can change from song to song during the course of the performance. It is the willingness to use and draw from that large base of influences that sets him and the band apart from other groups and makes them one of the most versatile bands in the area and one of the few acts that can actually be called "country rock" because they actually play both. Whether it's one style or the other or a show with both, it doesn't matter to them. There's always something for everyone before the end of the night.

The current members of the Hard Times Band are:

George Strepka – Lead Guitarist/Vocals. George has been playing guitar in various bands in some of the biggest clubs in the Chicago area for over 30 years. George was the founder and leader of the popular south side band Pat N Pending of the 1980's who performed on both the major club and festival/county fair circuit. His experience and versatility has helped The Hard Times Band continue to expand the amount the artist's band is able to cover while also providing new creative avenue's for the band to explore in regards to the band's original material.

August Kellogg – Bass /Vocals. Augie, as we call him, has played both bass and guitar for a number of years around Chicago. Most notably he has played bass for Brian White and while with the Kent Brothers, opened shows for The Kentucky Headhunters and Confederate Railroad. Augie has the ability to learn quickly and be creative at the same time.

Bill Zeits – Drums. Bill has been playing drums for 20 years. He has been with The Hard Times Band since October 2003. He is classically trained and has been regarded as one of the top "fill in" men for south side bands for years, most recently filling with Three Fish and a Loaf who where the opening band for M&R Rush this past summer.