For this music man, it was never about the spotlight

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

There’s something about Ron Rolla that not many people know.

He isn’t much for small talk, so he doesn’t often bring it up. But if you happen to be in his Kennewick home, he may show you framed album covers from his time in The Eligibles, a quartet that shot to success in the 1950s and ’60s. Rolla, 86, sang bass in the group, which made records, backed up Hollywood stars of the era and appeared on TV and the big screen.

“One couple (from church) knows. In fact, I gave them a CD of (one of our albums), and when they drive down to Arizona every year, they listen to it and sing along. One of the songs is ‘Rollin’ Dust,’ with me going, ‘rollin’ dust, rollin’ dust,’” Rolla said, singing the last bit in his rich bass.

For Rolla, music has never been about the spotlight. It’s about joy, pure and simple.

“It is such a large part of me. I find it difficult to spend any time without having music playing. I go to sleep to music, I wake up to music,” Rolla said.

“It makes me happy.”

A musical gamble

Rolla, who grew up in Renton, didn’t set out to be a musician.

Instead, he was studying engineering at the University of Washington and working the overnight shift at Boeing as an inspector. But music came call- ing, and Rolla answered.

“I was in a fraternity (at UW). There were four of us from Renton High School who were in that fraternity,” Rolla said. They formed a quartet and started singing at college events.

Around the time Rolla was a junior, the friends decided to head to Los Angeles.

They stayed with another friend from Renton who was living in L.A. and started performing around town. “I remember one time, we went into the lobby (of a hotel) and just sang there. A fella came up and gave us $50 for singing a particular song (he liked),” Rolla said.

The group found a manager and their profile began to rise.

“We’d go to the colleges around there and sing. We went to Las Vegas with Eartha Kitt, singing background. We sang at the Dunes (hotel and casino) with Zsa Zsa Gabor,” Rolla recalled. They also booked corporate gigs and special events.