Romanovsky & Phillips have toured extensively in the United States, Canada and Australia, where the Sydney Daily Mirror described them as “delightful and entertaining Ambassadors of Homosexuality.” Their songs celebrate life with a perfect balance of wit, sensitivity and political passion. The New Mexican called them “one of the funniest musical acts in the country, whose music, humor, and message cross all barriers.” Ron & Paul admit that a valid passport, an American Express Card, and a reliable vehicle make it easier for them to cross those barriers.
Pioneers of the now-popular gay and lesbian comedy movement, Romanovsky & Phillips began their career at San Francisco’s Valencia Rose Cafe in 1982 as the musical break for Gay Comedy Open Mike Night, sharing the stage with many other performers destined for success including Lea Delaria and Marga Gomez. Before long they were lauded by Bay Area critics who dubbed them the “Gay Simon and Garfunkel.” Thus began an ongoing litany of comparisons by the press to other famous duos, including the Smothers Brothers, Ricky & Lucy, Burns and Allen, Sonny and Cher, Hall and Oates, Martin and Lewis, and many others. (Though flattered by the comparisons, Ron&Paul dreamed that someday someone else would be compared to them as “a straight Romanovsky & Phillips!”) Bolstered by their local success, they mounted their first national tour in the fall of 1983.
Over the next five years, R&P continued to tour and recorded three albums, I Thought You’d Be Taller!, Trouble In Paradise, and Emotional Rollercoaster, on their own label, Fresh Fruit Records.
Trouble In Paradise won the 1987 San Francisco Cable Car Awardfor “Best Recording Artist”, while R&P also received the 1987 Cable Car Award for “Outstanding Cabaret Performance.” R&P’s music has been performed by lesbian & gay choruses throughout the United States. Their anthem “Living With AIDS” was sung by the Festival Chorus at the Vancouver Gay Games in 1990 and was also used in the documentary Testing The Limits.That same year, as all three of their albums simultaneously appeared on the Top 40 Bestsellers List in Ladyslipper Music’s 1990 catalog, R&P were presented with the Jerry Carlson/Lesegne Van Antwerp Award for Extraordinary Creativity by the Christopher Street West Association in Los Angeles. 1991 brought the release of Be Political, Not Polite, produced by Romanovsky & Phillips and John Bucchino, which received positive notices in such diverse mainstream publications as High Times and The Miami Herald. Be Political, Not Polite once again established Romanovsky & Phillips on the cutting edge of gay and lesbian music.
In 1993, R&P broke more new ground performing frequently on the college circuit. following their highly successful showcase at NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) in Nashville at the Opryland Hotel, where they were the first openly gay male act invited to perform on the mainstage. They also appeared on the mainstage at both the 1987 and the 1993 National Marches on Washington, and in November of ’93 they made their PBS debut on “In The Life,” which airs in over 60 US cities. Also in 1993, R&P made their musical theater debut when they penned six songs for Friday Night Refugees, a play which enjoyed a successful run at the RUSE/Marquis Theater in San Diego. Other non-R&P projects include Romanovsky’s solo album of love songs, Hopeful Romantic, and Paul Phillips’ work as producer and arranger of the Fresh Fruit release True To Myself, a passionate tribute to the late NYC singer/songwriter Joe Bracco. Ron & Paul have also been awarded three ASCAP Special Awards by the American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers.
Brave Boys…The Best and More of Romanovsky & Phillips released in September of 1994, is an eclectic mix of old and new R&P tunes which includes updated versions of some of their most-requested songs like “Ho Ho Homophobia,” “Don’t Use Your Penis (For A Brain)” and “What Kind Of Self-Respecting Faggot Am I?” Within one month of its release, Brave Boys made it to The Advocate’s top 10 best-selling CDs list and remained there for 6 months.
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