Ralph Stuart Donner, known professionally as Ral Donner, was born on February 10, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois. He is a singer who began his musical journey at an early age, influenced by the family tradition of gathering around the piano and performing religious songs publicly from the age of eight. His first public performance as a rock 'n' roll singer occurred on September 6, 1957, at a dance event in Chicago. Donner's breakthrough came with his cover of "Girl Of My Best Friend", which reached number 19 on the Billboard US Hitparade and number 2 in Chicago. His biggest hit was "You Don’t Know What You’ve Got", released in June 1961, which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard charts. However, career challenges ensued due to disputes with his record producer over royalties, making it difficult for him to secure new contracts. Despite these setbacks, he continued to work with various labels, releasing singles intermittently. In 1978, following Elvis Presley's death, Donner released "The Day The Beat Stopped" as a tribute, which was later included on the LP To Elvis – Love Still Burning. He also lent his voice to Presley in the documentary film This is Elvis. Donner struggled with health issues from 1977 onwards, ultimately succumbing to lung cancer on April 6, 1984, at the age of 41.
