Ronald Jay Hargrave (November 8, 1929 – May 16, 2023) was an American ukulele player and actor from the 1950s era, who has become an icon to the Rockabilly fan base.
Ronald Jay Hargrave was born in Brooklyn, New York to Vaudeville performers directly after the big Wall Street crash of 1929.
His family, trying to avert disaster, moved to Hollywood, California in 1936,[2] where they settled and he began his lifelong career choices for the entertainment industry.
During his military service time, he met up with the daughter of Lou Costello, which started him off in the film industry and got him a record deal with MGM.
Hargrave was also a boxer and his swagger in Costello's movie earmarked him as one of the first on-screen rock and roll actors, in an era that had not yet adjusted to the young attitude of Elvis Presley or Jerry Lee Lewis.