He had a younger sister, Anne Crotty Dapper Wells, who died before him in Sidney, British Columbia.
He played in a bebop band with, among others, Al Molina and met Cal Tjader, who later recommended him to Dave Brubeck when the pianist wanted to start a trio.
After two years, Crotty returned to Brubeck, now in his quartet with Paul Desmond and Lloyd Davis which became famous with the album Jazz at Oberlin (1953).
Crotty played regularly in the Oakland Museum café for years, with valve trombonist Frank Phipps and guitarist Tony Corman and other Bay Area jazz musicians.
He also had his own group, Ron Crotty & Friends, with which he performed in San Francisco and the surrounding area.