Ron Dickum

Ron Dickum was born in Philadelphia and has been behind a drum kit for the better part of 30 years. Music got into him early: he grew up watching the big bands on TV and wanting in. For his fourth birthday he was given KISS Alive, the first album he ever owned. He remembers it like yesterday, played it constantly, and wanted to be in KISS. His first concert set the hook for good: Dio and Accept at the Philadelphia Spectrum in 1983.

He calls himself musically eclectic, but the pillars are KISS, Motley Crue, Dio, and Stryper. His favorite album of all time, after a long Jeopardy-theme pause, is Pink Floyd's The Wall. The bands he never got to see are Queen and Iron Maiden, and the best show he's ever been to was Ghost: "hands down phenomenal." What's he listening to right now? "Storms Within," he laughs. "True." That, and Ashborn Records.

Before Storms Within, Ron played in several bands across the scene, most notably Vendetta and A Bed of Razors, the band that connected him with the other two founding members. They'd been collaborating for years before Storms Within came together in 2014. His writing habit is its own signature: he builds his drum parts to the guitar rather than the bass. "I don't know of many who write to guitar rather than to bass," he says, "but we've done it for over a decade."

Off stage, Ron manages a warehouse, has been practicing more than ever, and spends the rest with his family, which he'll tell you is a man's only true wealth: "band mates and my bloodline." Something people wouldn't expect? He hates getting dirty. And his pre-show ritual might be the most unexpected thing on this page: he gets nervous like anyone, so he calms down by listening to Yanni. One more thing he'd like settled: "It's soda, not pop."

The best show Ron has ever played is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His favorite Storms Within song to play live used to be "Fallen"; now it's "Not So Easy." If he could share a stage with anyone, dead or alive, it's Ronnie James Dio, and his dream rooms are Madison Square Garden and the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philly. What does the band mean to him? "Everything. It means everything." And to everyone out there: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support. Can't wait to see y'all and say hi."