Ronnie McDowell songs are memorable. He's unforgettable.

Ronnie McDowell has a 14-year string of hit songs to start the good memories buzzing. But it is his riveting stage presence and genuine warmth toward fans that fill the seats again and again. Like all great entertainers, he has a personality that remains luminous long after the lights go dim and the babysitter's been sent home. These qualities have inspired a nationwide network of fan clubs totaling more than 3,000 members, each one a devoted promoter of all things Ronnie McDowell.

Now touring as a solo act and as the headliner with Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters, Ronnie McDowell is also riding high on two new albums from Curb Records, one country, the other classic rock 'n' roll and beach music. Radio is re-discovering his magic.

In the grim week following Elvis Presley's death in 1977, Ronnie McDowell came out of nowhere to dazzle the world with his heartfelt and self-penned tribute, "The King Is Gone." Its impact was so great that it landed the singer guest appearances on both the Grand Ole Opry and Dick Clark's American Bandstand. All of a sudden, the young man from Portland, Tennessee was a star. But Ronnie McDowell wasn't a one-trick pony. The hits kept coming. "I Love You, I Love You, I Love You," his follow-up to "King," rose even higher on the charts and marked him as an artist with his own sound and style.

By the time Ronnie McDowell signed to Epic Records in 1979, he had charted four more songs. At Epic, McDowell practically held a lease to the top of the charts. Between 1980 and 1986, every single he released, except one, became a Top 10 hit or better (in most cases, much better). This period yielded the No. 1's "Older Women" and "You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputation," as well as the wildly popular "Watchin' Girls Go By," "Personally," "You Made A Wanted Man Of Me," "All Tied Up" and "In A New York Minute." Moving to Curb Records in 1986, he scored Top 10 again via "It's Only Make Believe," a duet with Conway Twitty. Two years later, he teamed up with the peerless Jerry Lee Lewis for an eye-popping romp called "You're Never Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll."

Long a fan of the Drifters, Ronnie McDowell began performing with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group in the late 1990s. This alliance soon led to the high-spirited, sun-soaked album Ronnie McDowell With Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters. Then, to satisfy his Nashville soul, McDowell recorded Ronnie McDowell Country, a delightful collection of new songs and old standards.

From this rich musical background, Ronnie McDowell has fashioned a stage show that is unmatched for its intoxicating blend of romantic intimacy and honky-tonk excitement. He still conveys the eagerness of a newcomer who's determined to connect personally with every eye in the house. "Charisma" is a much-overused word until you see how well Ronnie McDowell wears it.