Ronn “Skip” Prokop
It is safe to say that few Canadians in the entertainment industry have credentials that would equal those of Mr. Prokop. Four time Juno Award winner, Skip has written eleven North American and international “top 40” hits. Skip has spent his entire working life in the entertainment and broadcast industries in a variety of positions from producer, performer to creative/advertising consultant in these fields.
As a boy, Skip served in RCSCC LION Sea Cadets Corps in Hamilton. At the age of fourteen, he displayed signs of leadership as a “Leading Seaman/1st Class” as well as “Lead Drummer and Instructor” in the corps. Skip was also one of two cadets chosen nation-wide to serve in the Royal Canadian Naval Band. His leadership qualities won him an
offer of scholarship to the Royal British Naval Academy, which he turned down to pursue his love of music.
He moved to Preston (now Cambridge) and went on to play with a renowned and legendary drum corps, “Preston Scout House” One year later. He was accepted by the “Toronto Optimist” drum corps – the world famous Canadian National Champions.
Skip was encouraged to pursue a career in music and perfected his skill as a drummer. He won the prestigious “Canadian National Individual Rudimental Drumming Championship” at the age of seventeen and later that year, placed in the top three (three tenths of a point separating 1st 2nd and 3rd place) for the same title in the United States. A scholarship from prestigiousWestpoint Military Academy was offered to him as the first Canadian to be sponsored by a U.S. Senator. into West Point
While in Toronto, he graduated from Lakeshore Business College and took a position with the Metropolitan Toronto Police force in the Identification Bureau.
There is no doubt Skip’s talents were being recognized on an international level as well. He was offered a position with the United States Air Force “ Blue Angels” Presidential drum corps at age nineteen. At this point, Skip was also perfecting his guitar and piano skills and had started to write his first musical compositions. He left the drum corps to establish his first group.
The exposure of the Rock group “ The Beatles,” to the North American continent, inspired Skip to jump head long into a full blown professional career in music. He established Canada’s first underground group “The Paupers.” Who were the first Canadian group to sign a major US record deal. After successfully touring internationally for 4 years the group broke up and Skip went on to become one of the most sought after studio musicians in the U.S.A.
In 1969, Skip founded the rock group “LIGHTHOUSE”, the worlds first 13 piece rock orchestra and went on to achieve international success as Canada’s leading rock group. Lighthouse was the first group in Canada to be sponsored by a large corporation ( Labatt’s Breweries”) on a national level.
Since 1965 he has been composer of several film scores and popular advertising jingles for the following clients:
- Westmount Shopping Centre – London
- World Vision Canada
- House of Masters
- Laserland
- Abbe Insurance Brokers
- Accident Bureau in Mississauga
- Superstars Nightclub
- Greff Computers
- Aylmer furniture
- Crossroads Center
- ABC Cycles
- Hiemstra trailer sales
- Elmhurst Inn
- Aylmer sales arena
- White Oaks Mall
- Poags Jewellers
- Glassford Dodge Chrysler
- Disbrowe GM
- Raymond Bros Awnings
- Conway Court Condominiums
- Dowler karn
- Laser Concept Therapy
A few of his more notable achievements are as follows:
Composer and arranger of four Gold Records and one Platinum.
| One Fine Morning |
Gold |
| Thoughts Of Moving On |
Gold |
| Lighthouse Live At Carnegie Hall |
Platinum |
| Sunny Days |
Gold |
| Can You Feel It |
Gold |
Juno Award Recipient:
1971 – Group of the Year
1972 – Group of the Year
1973 – Best Male Vocalist (Bob McBride/Lighthouse)
1974 – Group of the Year
Played and recorded with:
- Peter, Paul and Mary
- Alvin Bishop
- Mama Cass Elliot
- Janis Joplin
- Carlos Santana
- Ritchie Havens
- Steve Miller
- Super Session with Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield.
Notable Events:
- Skip was personally selected by Prime Minister Pierre Elliont Trudeau to Address Parliament at the Parliamentary Inquiry into Canadian Music. He was the first rock musician in Canadian history to address parliament. He spoke about what it was like to be a Canadian musician/recording artist during a time when Canadian radio stations would not play or recognize Canadian Recording Artists. This inquiry resulted in the formation of the Canadian Radio and Television Commission. Skip was also informed by the right honourable Pierre Juno that his personal testimony was one of the key elements to the successful establishment of the CRTC. Interestly enough, everything that Skip said would happen around the world with the establishment of a Canadian content ruling has happened and now as Canadians we have one of the most highly recognized group of entertainers in the world today
- Hosted his own Christian Contemporary Rock music show on CFNY Radio 102.1 “the edge”in Brampton. (This radio show was certainly on the cutting edge of one on one contact with the street youth of southern Ontario.) not to mention uniting the Christian community as a whole through music and on air ministry. This show was credited with saving the lives of at least 3 people who were on the verge of committing suicide
- Honoured guest of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Skip was the only rock musician invited to have dinner with the Queen and Prince Philip
- Honoured guest of Hon. Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
- Special guest and award recipient of the Emperor of Japan Expo 1970, Osaka, Japan. Lighthouse represented the Ontario Government as Musical Ambassadors, resulting in awards from Ontario Premiere William Davis , The Ontario Government and the Government of Japan.
- In 1988 and 1989 he was the President and owner of PROMOTUR Inc. a full service, communications and commercial production organization.
Promotur provided specialized services in the following areas:
- Special Event Marketing/Management
- Graphic Design
- Creative Content Composition/Advertising Brochures/Print Advertising
- Public Relations and Publicity
- Sales Promotions
- Media Placement
- Commercial Jingles
- Video Production
Some of the more notable events that Skip has organized or participated in are as follows:
*Organized and produced and hosted “Rock Against Hunger” a National One Hour Radio Special for World Vision Canada which finally and successfully broke the “30 Hour Famine” across Canada from coast to coast. It is now the 2nd largest fund raiser in Canada second only to the Terry Fox fund raiser
*Organized composed and produced “Nobody’s Children” the first rock album project for World Vision Canada.
*Canada Day – CBC Radio Special
*Composed theme song “ I Am Canada” with Al Wax man (King of *Kensington/Cagney and Lacey).
*Municipal Election “ Race for Mayor” – Public endorsement of David Crombie for Mayor of Toronto.
*Organized Toronto City Hall Free Concert (Four years in a row). Lighthouse participated to bring the people of Toronto together with a record-breaking crowd of 97,000 people, which was eventually broken by Terry Fox.
*Composed the music and Participated in the Movie Unveiling and Promotion for the Future City of Mississauga for McLaughlin & Associates.
*Organized and promoted “Greenfest Christian music Rock Festival” in 1987.
*Produced and recorded Attica State Prision Christian Inmate Choir with Gene McLelland for a live album.
*Worked with Chuck Colsons Prison Fellowship in both Canada and the USA
*Participated in many capacities with Variety Club International including the “Bike-A-Thon” with then Toronto Mayor David Crombie and recently reformed Lighthouse for the 1990 Variety Club Telethon on national television.
In October 1990 Skip was employed as Promotions Mgr/Sales Representative at CHLO radio in St. Thomas, Ontario.
In may of 1992 Skip joined BX93 and CJBK as a Regional Account Representative.
Since 1992 Skip has continued to lead Lighthouse as drummer and principal composer of Lighthouse material.
Lighthouse has performed many concerts over the last 17 years both in Canada and internationally
In 1997 they were once again asked by the Ontario Government to perform 3 multi-media concerts in Brazil for a large cultural festival. These performances also included an original rock ballet entitled Noah composed by Skip.
Lighthouse also performed the first live concert via satellite where they actually split the band up into 3 separate sections and 3 separate geographic locations for an international worldwide satellite convention in Toronto.
Skip was also the principal writer and producer on their last CD titled “Song of the Ages” released on True North Records.
In the last few years Skip has continued to compose many radio jingles and worked as advisor on developing several new Canadian talent acts.
In 2003 he formed a brand new smooth jazz group called Skip Prokop’s Valecrest and is presently working on demo recordings of many of Skip’s never before recorded songs both as a player/arranger/producer.
Skip’s life has been filled with so many experiences from being the first rock musician to address parliament to facing an unofficial welcoming committee of the California Hell’s Angels because of being selected to put Janis Joplins new band together. So after being asked numerous times to write a book based on Skip’s life he presently is working on the first draft of his biography.
In 2005 skip and his son Jamie formed a brand new Christian Rock “ministry” band called “Mercy Train”. They were given free session time totaling $65,000 to complete their first EP which they believe should never be sold but given away for free to anyone one who might find encouragement in their music They have been in the recording studio on and off for the last year and a half working on a full length cd which should be released and hopefully on air in the spring of 2011.
After many years of being asked by hundreds of people both in the industry and supporting fans to write a book about this life he has finally decided to make it a priority in the fall of 2010 and hopefully release it to the public in early 2011
Skip has also been featured as a keynote speaker on many occasions over the years at both music events and also highschools and colleges. He has successfully lectured about composing, arranging, and producing. Not to mention the his sense of humor when it comes to telling hilarious stories about his life in music and other life situations he’s found himself in. He is also capable of successfully encouraging young people when he speaks about “one person can make a difference” With his wealth of experience he is able to speak not only about music but real life in the real world