Ron Hardy (May 8, 1958 – March 2, 1992) was an American, Chicago, Illinois-based DJ and record producer of early house music.

[1] Here, with a set-up of two turntables, a mixer and a reel-to-reel tape-deck, he played long nights of underground dance music.

[citation needed] Hardy's style incorporated constant tension met with release, with a pulsing narrative that enchanted the wild crowds of the Music Box.

In contrast to Frankie Knuckles, Hardy's mark on house music was endless energy and using a variety of techniques to keep the audience on their toes.

"[4] All of these factors, including Hardy's own emotional investment in the music, created an intense atmosphere on the dance floor.

[citation needed] In the first half of the 1980s, many Chicago DJs and clubgoers started experimenting with creating their own rhythm tracks.

Chicago producers, including Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard, Adonis, Phuture's DJ Pierre and Chip E., all debuted a lot of their compositions at The Muzic Box.

DJ Theo Parrish also made a series of tribute-remixes called "Ugly Edits" some of which bear a striking resemblance to Hardy's re-edits.

In addition to his DJ mixes, long-buried original productions have also come to light—among them, "Throwback 87", a collaboration between Ron Hardy and Gene Hunt.