Ron Dumas was born Ron Stanley Solomon at the Queen of Angels Hospital, East Hollywood, 1961. Ron is a multi-instrumentalist, and throughout school he played in bands, orchestras and at talent shows. In 1974, he was songwriter and keyboardist with a glitter rock band called “Aberdeen.” The band got sidelined by an interest in ceremonial magic. At the age of 14, he studied electronic music composition at UCLA. Then 1976-1977 he played keyboards for the classic rock cover band, “Hot Ice.” In 1978, Ron played piano at the Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands with the 1st prize winning big band, “Vibes.” 1978-1979 Ron was in the new wave, singer-songwriter collective called “the Wake.”
In 1980, Ron moved to New York City where he produced 9 films and two underground music tapes: “The Burns – Four Signals” and “Autonomy & more.” By 1982, Ron Dumas was known as Dumas and he performed poetry, performance art, and showed his films in the East Village and Los Angeles.
At the end of 1982, Dumas moved to Berlin. There he created the Attack Group; industrial rhythm, poetry and performance. Returning to the states in 1983, the Attack Group regularly performed in New York and Los Angeles. Performances were ceremonies and there was the omnipresent Black Sun symbol. A stage curtain with the black sun was abruptly released and cast to the ground; pulsing rhythms, punctuated bass and prepared guitars.
By 1984, everything caught up with Dumas – the naked performance art, falling on stage and going unconscious, and anarchic parties. Dumas lost his place to stay in New York, so he moved to London, where he lived for a month in a squat in Brixton. Playing a party, he performed his rap “We Are on The Frontline.” Then moving to Amsterdam, playing the Pampus Club with the haunting tune “Motionless Orb.” Soon after the show, Ron heard his grandmother passed away, Dumas was distraught and cancelled his April 1st performance at NL Centrum; wandering the street, wearing strange clothes, following numbers and colors.
The last vestige of the Black Sun symbol was destroyed in a crazy mystical ceremony in Amsterdam. After the harrowing European tour, Dumas returned to Los Angeles to record new songs influenced by a new yoga: yoga meditation on silence, fasting two days a week, and being silent on Monday, like Ghandi.
In 1984, Dumas performed several times at the Lhasa Club in Hollywood. He was contacted by Nina Hagen who recorded his song “Universal Radio.” Dumas met Nina Hagen in 1982, when Nina attended a poetry reading on the Bowery, where Dumas performed a poem which introduced Shango Bango, a higher plane entity. Nina told Dumas, “The Moon is your friend.”
In 1985, “Universal Radio” was released to great fanfare on the New York City club scene. In the summer, Attack Group played the Pyramid Club and were offered a 10-album recording contract, but the lawyer turned it down. The attorney said he could get a better deal, whilst Ron was unemployed and changing places every few days.
In 1986, Ron moved to Lung Leg’s house in Spanish Harlem. There he would create vast sound collages and practice sympathetic magic. Dumas sang with “Pit” at the Guillotine Studios in East Harlem.
In 1987, Ron entered his most productive period. Living in the Hollywood Hills, he produced countless tapes on 4-track cassette. Many of these songs were later reproduced. There were also 2 gigs with “Pit,” at CBGBs and Tin Pan Alley.
1988-1992 was Ron Dumas’ lost weekend in Los Angeles. Perhaps it was the “27” curse. There was an attempt to produce the “Stranger” album that ended in fiasco. Yet, there were shows on Sunset Blvd; the Club Lingerie show went well. Then, 3 songs were featured in the film “Blood & Concrete.” The nineties changed everything and Ron moved back to New York City in 1992.
1992-1994 Ron was songwriter and singer with “Shell*Shock.” Then, 1996-1998 songwriter, guitar and vocals with “Transmitter.” Ron also played keyboards with the “Jerry Agony All Stars” 1998-2004.
Since 9-11 the New York City music scene changed. Since 2001, Ron Dumas was focused more on creating CDs, writing new music and playing the rare live performance.
In 2010, Ron created a video magazine called “Night Shift.” The 12 episodes highlighted Ron Dumas and related artists; live performances, films and documentary footage. At that time, Ron would begin the continuing recording project of improvised piano music.
Since 2023, the YouTube channel: rondumas presents songs from the 70’s to the 20’s. Ron Dumas continues to produce new music and ameliorate the existing tracks.
Excerpt from the Ron Afghani Dumas book Yoga Sutra – Sacred Rites and Ritual. Available at Amazon.
Ron Dumas © 2026