Ron DeFore is the second son of movie, television and Broadway star, Don DeFore. Don DeFore co-starred in more than 35 feature films and is perhaps best known for his TV role as “Thorny” in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" and his co-starring role as “Mr. B” in the 1960s TV hit series, "Hazel." His mother was also an entertainer in the late 1930s and early ‘40s as the lead vocalist with the Henry Busse Orchestra as well as Art Kassel and His Kassels in the Air orchestra. She recorded with both and with the later made "I’m a Little Teapot" famous. Ron has a brother, David, and three sisters, Penny, Dawn, and Autumn. His upbringing in Brentwood, just outside of Hollywood—surrounded by celebrities—made for a life full of amazing experiences including having a father who owned a restaurant in Disneyland, "Don DeFore’s Silver Banjo Barbecue" restaurant in Frontierland. Ron’s exciting brushes with history continued all the way to his semi-retirement.
Ron DeFore’s life experiences and many careers were wide-ranging: television and film production; music coordinator, senior executive positions in the federal government; and co-owner of a successful public relations firm in Washington, D.C. Ron’s entertainment industry and political credits include Associate Director of the Steve Allen Show, Associate Producer of KTLA-TV’s first public service talk show, “The Gallery,” the Los Angeles TV station’s Public Service Director and Assistant On-Air Promotion Director. In the early 1970s he worked at Paramount Television as a Production Coordinator supporting several shows including "Happy Days," "Little House on the Prairie," "Mannix," "The Odd Couple," and various movies of the week. He then went to Billy Jack Productions working directly for Tom Laughlin who not only played the role of Billy Jack, but was also its writer, producer, director, and distributor.
His mid-life crisis came early in his mid-20s when he decided to stop climbing ladders in the TV and film business and returned to his true love: music. At the height of the disco craze, DeFore became the “Flying DJ” at Dillon’s discotheque in Los Angeles. He spun records at several other clubs including the famous Studio 54 in New York City, wrote a weekly top ten disco column for the Los Angeles Times, and by the late 1970s was hired as “the best DJ in the U.S” to open “Whispers,” Australia’s largest entertainment center at the time. He met his wife, Laurie, while under contract to Sitmar Cruises; she was a passenger, he was the DJ.
Ron prides himself in his ability to morph into a variety of careers. After getting married he decided to take life a tad more seriously taking on a federal government position—Manager of the Los Angeles Area office of the Peace Corps. Ron’s family ties to then President Ronald Reagan led to several political positions; the first being promoted to the Peace Corps’ Press Officer and Acting Director of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. He held two other senior executive political appointments: Director of Public and Consumer Affairs for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Transportation.
After leaving the Reagan Administration, Ron joined a public relations firm as senior vice president specializing in transportation, energy, and environmental issues, and media relations. By 1995 he and two colleagues formed their own firm, Stratacomm, which quickly gained national recognition and had one of the largest automotive PR practices in the U.S. Many of their media accomplishments were rare in the industry including several positive front-page headlines in USA Today and press conferences carried live on CNN-TV. In 2004 they sold part of the firm to a multi-national communications company. Ron has since retired from his firm and continues to consult and write. “Growing up in Disneyland” being his major project since 2018--a combination bio about his Dad and his own life in a celebrity family. It received excellent reviews. In 2024 he published the new and improved Second Edition that included 25% more content. Ron is married to Laurie Gambino and has a daughter, Brittany, and son, John. Brittany and her husband, Jeff have three kids, Jayden, Landon, and Alden. John married Katelyn Shinn in 2024 and it is hoped that someday they will give birth to the first grandchild to carry on the DeFore name.
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