Ron Dante Biography

Ron Dante is one star in the entertainment business that doesn't need a press agent to hype his many accomplishments. He has a room full of platinum albums and Grammy, Clio and Tony Awards to do his talking for him.

Ron Dante is probably best known for his work as a producer for Barry Manilow, Cher, Dionne Warwick, Pat Benatar, Irene Cara, Ray Charles, John Denver, and other major recording artists.

He was the driving force behind Barry Manilow's greatest successes. Their collaboration spawned one hit after another. Dante produced songs that have become landmarks on the pop music scene including "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," the Grammy winning "Copacabana," "Could It Be Magic" and others.

During a tumultuous decade in the record industry in which many stars faded and new ones flickered, Dante's firm guidance helped Manilow achieve unparalleled success. The Dante produced LPs sold more than 60 million copies, accounting for more than $350 million in retail sales at record stores nationwide.

Pop music fans know Ron Dante as the man who performed the #1 single "Sugar, Sugar" which topped the Top 40 charts for weeks and was voted “Song Of The Year'” in 1969 ... an era dominated by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and hard rock.

Lots of music lovers hum Ron Dante's tunes without even knowing it. Dante was the distinctive singing voice in dozens of radio and TV commercials. He has also worked alongside such other stars as Melissa Manchester, Ashford and Simpson and Luther Vandross.

It's Dante's voice you hear singing "You Deserve A Break Today" for McDonald’s. His voice was heard in spots for Coca Cola, American Airlines, Budweiser and dozens of other well-known products. The production firm Dante established to produce commercials won a Clio for its work for Volkswagen.

Theatergoers know Dante for his work on Broadway. He produced "Ain't Misbehavin',” which earned him a Tony for best musical and "Children Of A Lesser God," which took the Tony for best drama. Dante's stage credits also include "Whose Life Is It Anyway?," "Crimes Of The Heart" and "Duet For One". Dante also turned his attention to the printed word. He served as publisher of the prestigious Paris Review for more than two years.

His recent work includes a collaboration with Barry Manilow, singing background on various tracks for the Concord release of Manilow's Here at the Mayflower. Ron has also released Saturday Night Blast, a collection of classic pop songs along with some new Dante originals. Some of the highlights include “Rockin' Robin" (with Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits singing background), "Rock Me Gently" (with writer/performer Andy Kim, who wrote the song, doing background vocals) and "Summer in the City" (featuring Toni Wine, the original female voice of The Archies’ "Sugar, Sugar" singing a duet with Ron.)

For his debut on Digital Musicworks International (DMI), the world’s first full-service, all-digital music label, Ron has produced Rockin’ Christmas Party, Volume 1, featuring himself and such other all-star rock ‘n’ roll hit makers as Lou Christie, Tommy Roe, Gary Lewis, Bobby Vee and Chris Montez. Rockin’ Christmas Party, Volume 1 showcases a sleigh-full of both traditional Christmas songs as well as five new original holiday tunes.

"I never stop keeping busy," Ron says. "My day starts very early and that's okay with me. I enjoy what I do and that makes the long hours and every day worth it."

As a unique and multifaceted personality, and a true nexus of the East and West, Shawn Rae is a natural-born global thinker who possesses a well rounded and interestingly refreshing personal appeal. As an individual he has accomplished much, and is noted internationally for his varied contributions as a speaker, a designer, a recording artist, and a humanitarian. Shawn has represented the United States at various national and international events, and has been featured in the media on topics dealing with corporate giving, human rights abuses, matters relating to world trade and technology-related issues affecting mankind. He was selected as one of the Top Ten Speakers in the United States for the Conference on American Ingenuity by the U.S. Department of Commerce and picked as one of four Judges by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and the Intellectual Property Association (IPO). The IPO is comprised of such prestigious members as General Motors, Lockheed, 3M, and other major corporate and multinational leaders.

Nicknamed Bambi at birth by his relatives and tribe, Shaanshehryar Khan Rae Zagajadoon, was raised until the age of 18 in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. Historical figures such as Marco Polo, Alexander the Great, and Genghis Khan, among others, once visited his homeland. Noteworthy here is the fact that Shawn inherited from both of his parents a remarkable lineage of Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Tibetan, and Chinese ancestry. It was due in large part to his having this multifarious background that Shawn was instilled with a fierce desire to erase international differences and to impact the ways in which human beings care for one another. His heartfelt desire for helping those in need stems from the time he witnessed, in a refugee camp at the age of six, the horrors of homelessness, hunger, disease, and despair. These tragic scenes, etched in his mind, moved him to join with others to alleviate such misery among the suffering peoples of the world.

At the age of seventeen, the United States government invited Shawn from the Far East to study as an exchange student in the United States. He was then sent to Europe and Asia to act as an Ambassador for American Education. A year later, on his own, Shawn traveled back to the U.S., desiring to further his American studies. With this goal in mind he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Political Science and Economics. Later on, he received his LLB Degree (Juris Doctor) in International Law for the purpose of serving those suffering from human rights abuses in the developing world.

As a recording artist Shawn has just completed a new CD of love songs entitled Songs to Fall in Love…Again. As a designer, he has a line of products that include both a Jewelry Collection and a Perfume Collection known as ONENESS, characterized by a philosophy that “exhorts individuals to challenge themselves to reach beyond the boundaries of ones self, and to awaken to the spirit of oneness inherent in humankind.” In all of these products and other endeavors, Shawn is committed to share in royalties and to dedicate his time and effort in promoting and supporting causes that are in the service of alleviating homelessness, hunger disease, and despair.

Shawn’s motto is, “Challenge yourself…” He feels that anyone can achieve anything if one challenges oneself enough. According to Shawn, “A unified humanity can collectively resolve problems… Divided, we only serve to create them.” Further, Shawn sees, “The challenge is individually and collectively to awaken our true potential for goodness and greatness, and to realize that positive change begins with us.”

Mr. Leviton is a co-founding partner of Block & Leviton LLP and focuses his practice on investor protection and shareholder rights matters.  He is also the co-chair of the Firm’s New Case Investigation Team.  After receiving his law degree from the Gonzaga School of Law (cum laude, Editor of the International Law Journal, member of the Moot Court Council), Mr. Leviton attended the Georgetown University Law Center and received a Master’s of Law (LL.M.) in Securities and Financial Regulation (Dean’s Award, 1of 6).  While attending Georgetown, he was the inaugural LL.M. student selected for an externship with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Enforcement Division, in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Leviton is currently a member of the Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni. 

Mr. Leviton has dedicated his practice to upholding shareholder rights.  Prior to forming Block & Leviton, he was an attorney at two of the preeminent securities class action firms in the nation and worked on behalf of numerous institutional and individual investors.  For instance, Mr. Leviton represented several State of Ohio Pension Funds against BP following the largest oil spill in United States history (In re BP plc Securities Litigation, 10-cv-2185 (S.D.Tex.)).  He was also instrumental in recovering $10.5 million in the Welmon v. Chicago Bridge & Iron, 06-CV-01283,securities class action litigation.  In that case, Mr. Leviton represented Fortis Investments, a major European asset management company and, in addition to the monetary settlement, was able to institute numerous corporate governance changes at the company.  In granting the Chicago Bridge & Iron settlement, the Honorable John Sprizzo stated that “Plaintiffs’ Counsel have conducted the litigation and achieved the Settlement with skill, perseverance and diligent advocacy.”  Chicago Bridge & Iron, 06-CV-01283 (June 3, 2008).  Moreover, in the Ong v. Sears Roebuck & Co., 03 C 4142 (N.D. Ill.), securities class action, Mr. Leviton represented the State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) and helped settle the action for $15.5 million.  He also represented the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System, the Policemen’s Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago, the Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund in the securities class action against MF Global that recently settled for $90.0 million.  See Rubin v. MF Global, LTD., et al., 08-cv-02233 (S.D.N.Y.).  Likewise, he was a member of the In re VeriSign Securities Litigation, C-02-2270 (N.D. Cal.) team that recovered more than $78.0 million for investors.  Furthermore, Mr. Leviton represented the Oklahoma Firefighter’s Pension and Retirement System in In re Smith & Wesson Corp. Securities Litigation, 07-cv-30238 (D. Mass.).  He has also litigated and settled cases involving SourceCorp, Inc., 04-cv-02351 (N.D. Tex.) (settled for $3.0 million), Xybernaut Corporation, 05-cv-01705 (E.D.Va) (settled for $6.3 million), and Mid-American Waste Management, C-2-97-449 (S.D. Ohio) (settled for $7.5 million).  

Mr. Leviton also has considerable experience litigating cases involving mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and other toxic assets.  For example, he represented the Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office and the Wyoming Retirement System in the In re IndyMac Mortgage-Backed Securities Litigation, 09-Civ.-04583 (S.D.N.Y.), and SURS in an action involving General Electric (In re General Electric Securities Litigation, 09-cv-0195 (S.D.N.Y.)).  Similarly, he represented the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System and the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System of Louisiana in the In re BankUnited Financial Corp. Securities Litigation, 08 CIV 22572 (S.D. Fla.) action that recently settled for $3.0 million.  

In addition to his class action experiences, Mr. Leviton has litigated other forms of complex litigation.  For instance, he worked with a former State of New York Attorney General in the defense of an attorney accused of insider trading, which included a criminal referral to the United States Department of Justice.  He was also heavily involved in the representation of four detainees being held at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba.

Mr. Leviton is a frequent commentator and author on issues relating to the federal securities laws and corporate governance issues.  For example, he has been a recurring guest on Rights Radio, including programs entitled “Stock Fraud: How to Get A Portion of Your Money Bank”and “Protecting Shareholder Rights Through Civil Prosecutorial Litigation.”  He was also interviewed and quoted by Securities Law360 in an article entitled “CB&I Settles Securities Class Action for $10 million”.  Likewise, he was the primary author of SEC Litigation Release No. 18638, “SEC Charges Cedric Kushner Promotions and Three of its Officers and Directors with Fraud; Chairman and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer Charged with Filing False Certifications Required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002”and was acknowledged for contribution in a Nebraska Law Review article entitled, “After the Ball is Over:  Investor Remedies in the Wake of the Dot-Com Crash and Recent Corporate Scandals.”  Mr. Leviton was also invited to speak with Georgetown University Law Center students on issues arising when prosecuting securities class action lawsuits.          

Mr. Leviton has always been active in his community as well.  For example, he tutored at-risk children, volunteered at several Rotary Club fundraising events, and participated with the Kiwanis Club’s Mentally Challenged Adults Program.  He was also an Election Supervisor for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election and the 2010 Mid-Term Elections.

Mr. Leviton is admitted to the Bars of Massachusetts and the District of Columbia and is on voluntary inactive status for the Bars of Washington State and Florida.  He is also a member of the District of Massachusetts, District of the District of Columbia, and Western District of Washington federal courts.

A gifted medical intuitive, Stewart Swerdlow is a clairvoyant who has the ability to see auric fields and personal archetypes as well as read DNA sequences and mind-patterns.

His great-uncle, Yakov Swerdlow, was the first president of the Soviet Union, and his grandfather helped form the Communist Party in the United States in the 1930s. To ensure that his loyalties stayed with the US government, he was "recruited" for specific government mind-control experiments which enhanced his natural abilities.

He spent years in service to various US and foreign government agencies and special interest groups. His mind and body were used for genetic and mind-control experiments which led to severe illness, broken relationships, and premature Kundalini activation.

After several years of deep self-analysis, Stewart merged with higher levels of his multidimensional self, which saved his life. His mission is to help others heal themselves in a positive way, thus avoiding the negativity he experienced.

Stewart, a linguist who speaks ten languages, says that the often considered "unused" 90% portion of the brain is actually in constant communication with the Mind of God, receiving information in the Language of Hyperspace, an interuniversal and interspecies language which consists of color, tone, and archetype.

Because people are not usually trained to understand this language, only a small amount of this information is able to filter through to the conscious mind, mostly in the dream state. By learning Swerdlow Hyperspace Techniques™, you can consciously learn to access this language as well as unlock DNA sequences preprogrammed within you since the beginning of your existence. This new information will give you practical applications, allow you to learn who and what you are, as well as help you understand your reason for being.

Chip Coffey is an internationally acclaimed psychic, medium, paranormal investigator, speaker and writer. He is the great-grandson of famed Native American medicine woman Minnie Sue Morrow Foster. (He is also distantly related to General Robert E. Lee and Thomas Coffey, an actor who performed with Edwin and John Wilkes Booth.)

Chip was born in Upstate New York, spent much of his childhood in South Carolina, and now resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

His psychic abilities manifested themselves when he was a young child and, after successful careers in traditional counseling, the entertainment industry and travel management, he began working full-time as a psychic and medium in 2001. Since that time, he has conducted thousands of readings for clients all around the world.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called Chip "every bit as accurate as John Edward" and InStyle magazine said "Chip Coffey is a cross between John Edward and Dr. Phil...a psychic who doesn't hesitate to tell it like it is." Fate and Fortune, a European magazine, featured an article about Chip's visit to the ruins of the World Trade Center with the widow of a man who died there on 9-11.

Chip hosted Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal, a one hour documentary pilot, followed by three seasons of the groundbreaking series that aired on both A&E and Biography. Psychic Kids aired in numerous international markets, including Canada, Mexico, the UK, Central America, South America, Australia and Norway.

Chip was featured on thirty-one episodes of the popular A&E Network series, Paranormal State.  He also appeared twice on the popular CNN television show, Larry King Live, and has been featured on Good Morning America, Tyra (with Tyra Banks), Entertainment Tonight and The Insider.

Articles that Chip has written have appeared in regional and national publications. His first book, Growing Up Psychic, will be published by Random House in 2012.

He is an avid animal rescue advocate and works with groups across the United States to save animals' lives. Chip also volunteers with various hospice-related organizations. A firm believer in God and His Angels, Chip believes that miracles, great and small, happen each and every day.

Mary Lomando, is a Jungian Astrologer and Egyptologist. She has over 20 years experience in psychology, metaphysics, and world mythologies. As an archaeo-astrologer, her areas of expertise are ancient Egypt and Peru. A reading with Mary will help clarify your soul's purpose by focusing on karmic relationship patterns, past life experiences and talents, and future potential inherent in the birth chart. Combining both astrological vision and intuitive guidance, she is able to facilitate and guide your personal transformation. Mary has lived and worked in Egypt, where she received her degree in Egyptology. She currently leads trips to Egypt and Peru and is researching the archaeological and astronomical connections between these two ancient civilizations. She began PachaTerra Travel as way to share her love of sacred site travel and Mother Earth with like-minded individuals.

ANCIENT WISDOM/ NEW VISION: PACHA TERRA

My journey over the past 14 years has taken me from volunteer who lived in the neighborhood and started out just one or two days a week to Executive Director in 2003.

At any given time I am responsible for the health and well being over 50 plus wolves and wolf dogs… and one little Red Fox Romeo.

I had the pleasure and privilege to work with Raven a beautiful black and silver timber wolf. We spent nearly twelve years as the educational ambassador team for Wild Spirit.

Teaching in schools, clubs, groups any where we were invited all around the southwest. In 2001 Raven joined me as my best man in my wedding to my bride Georgia. Shortly after marriage Raven became my daughter Lakota’s canine uncle of sorts.

Children grow up fast but wolves grow old to quickly, Raven passed Easter morning 2009 fourteen years and seven days old, he will be forever missed.

Over the past three years my small family and a few of my staff have had the opportunity to raise thirteen wolf pups three of which are ambassador wolves in training.

My love affair with living in the woods with wolves has taken me on a roller coaster ride of emotions and wild experiences. I am a privileged man to be able to live this dream and be up close and personal with one of natures more fantastic beasts.

I know that I have seen and done more things with wolves than possibly any other human on planet earth…and for that I am eternally grateful!

Christopher Ciccone’s background runs the gamut from one-man art exhibitions, to directing and design of major concert tours, music videos, and film, to commercial, residential interior and furniture design.



Christopher brings all of these eclectic and critically acclaimed experiences to Art, Photography, Film, Writing, Design and Fashion as well as TV appearances. He has shown his photo’s and paintings on both the east and west coast and Paris. He has also recently released his New York Times Bestselling memoirs “Life With My Sister Madonna”.



Ciccone has done residential and commercial interior design for many restaurants, and was partner/designer for the critically acclaimed restaurants, “Atlantic” and “Central” in Los Angeles, “Oriont” in New York City and 6º in Miami and homes located in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. He is currently designing a beach front condominium development on Miami Beach and the corporate boxes for the new Millennium Dome in London as well as in the beginning stages of designing a hotel in Costa Rica and one in Istanbul. His furniture design (for Bernhardt ) was chosen to be used in the New York City office of President Bill Clinton. He also served as Editor at Large for “Instinct Magazine.



Originally from Detroit, Christopher attended the University in Michigan studying anthropology and fencing. Since that time, his work has graced the covers of every major design publications throughout the world. His awardwinning work for music video and music tour productions for Madonna is unparalleled and his artwork has been shown in New York and Paris.



Christopher has also shared his talents with such charitable organizations as AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), New York’s Living With AIDS Foundation, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles just to name a few. In addition to gaining national attention, his work has been recognized in numerous international publications including The Evening Standard, the London Sunday Times, Paris Match and Elle Paris, Elle Décor, Vanity Fair, New York Times, Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home, Miami Herald, et al….



He also frequently contributes as a writer for Interview and Icon magazines. The designer of Atlantic restaurant in Los Angeles, Christopher maintains a tri-city presence with offices in both New York, Miami and LA. Over the past few years, he has spent his time focusing on film direction and screenwriting, but takes time out to work on special commercial and residential design commissions as well as stage projects. Has appeared on “Top Chef”, Bravo’s top rated reality show as a special guest designer as well as the special guest designer for the premier episode of the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.



His New York Times best selling memoirs were published by Simon and Schuster for a July 15, 2008 release and is currently developing a music based reality TV. He also has a retrospective of his paintings, photography and video traveling the country. It is currently viewing at DAP Studios in Los Angeles after hitting Art Basel in Miami in December and HCG Gallery in Dallas in February and moving on the Mexico City in October.