Ronnie Bear was born in Prescott, Arkansas, to Dora May Lewis Barrett and F. L. Barrett. His heritage is Choctaw Indian and Irish. He was raised in the small town of Amity, and recalls that there was ¿always lots of music in my family.¿ Ronnie started playing the drums at around age 5, and began playing professionally 11 years ago. As fate would have it, one night the singer of the band he was playing with, was detained. Ronnie stepped up and began singing lead, and he liked it. After that, he continued on the drums for awhile, but he knew that singing was his true calling. He finally moved up front on rhythm guitar and vocals, and has been there ever since. A true cowboy, Ronnie spent many years running a large cattle ranch, and knows his way around ¿ropin¿ and ridin¿,¿ but his heart is in music. After winning the 2000 Country Music Showdown in his hometown and participating in the state competition, Ronnie¿s appetite for the music grew stronger, so he set his sights on a full-time career as a record