We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Mark Ronson, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the DJ and performer that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: He Has a Famous Step-Father. Ronson’s stepfather is Mick Jones. Yes – the same Mick Jones in Foreigner!
Number Seven: He Got His First Writing Credit When He Was Eight Years Old. According to WTF Facts, Ronson has a co-writing credit on ThunderCats that he earned when he was just eight years old. He reportedly helped write the theme song.
Number Six: He DJ’ed Tom Cruise’s Wedding. According to Ronson, the DJ gig was funny because Cruise just wanted to hear 50 Cent and Kanye. However, Ronson did mention that he played the theme to Top Gun.
Number Five: He Has Worked With Almost Everyone in the Industry. Ronson clearly keeps busy, because he has worked with just about every big name in the industry. From Christina Aguilera to Ghostface Killah, Ronson has many, many connections.
Number Four: He Did a TED Talk. In March of 2014, Ronson gave a TED Talk about sampling in music. Specifically, his talk was about how sampling can transform music in various ways.
Number Three: His Parents Are Ashkenazi Jews. Ronson’s ancestors are Jewish immigrants, and he was brought up with the religion of Masorti Judaism. He also had a Bar Mitzvah!
Number Two: He Almost Married Rashida Jones. In fact, Ronson and Jones were engaged for a year in 2003 before finally breaking up. Jones is the daughter of Quincy Jones.
Number One: He Nearly Died Because of “Uptown Funk.” Ronson said that he did 45 takes of “Uptown Funk” and still couldn’t get it, so he and his team took a break to go to lunch. While at lunch, Ronson went to the bathroom, threw up and fainted. He had to be carried out of the restroom. He was reportedly so stressed out from the song that his body couldn’t take it anymore.