How Ron Dante Became the Voice of a Generation | The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan

How Ron Dante Became the Voice of a Generation | The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan

From The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan by Billy Corgan

August 26, 2026 · 1h 13m

About this episode

Billy Corgan interviews Ron Dante about his career and the impact of classic pop music.

Billy Corgan welcomes Ron Dante, the unmistakable voice behind the Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar,” for a fascinating look at the hidden machinery of classic pop music. Dante recalls starting as a 17-year-old demo singer, auditioning for the Monkees, and becoming the anonymous voice of two Top 10 hits at the same time. He reveals how “Sugar, Sugar” became a worldwide phenomenon, why he never resented the “bubblegum rock” label, and how elite New York session musicians powered a cartoon band. Billy also shares his own emotional connection to the song. From anonymous singer to hit producer, Dante takes Billy inside the making of Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” and shares the difficult decision that helped clear the way for Pat Benatar’s rise to stardom. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Host: Billy Corgan

Guest: Ron Dante

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Monkees, Archies, Barry Manilow

Books & works: Sugar, Sugar, Mandy

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