Ron Hamilton

Full Name: Hamilton, Ron
Birth Year: 1950
Death Year: 2023

Ron Hamilton (born Ronald Allen Hamilton on November 9, 1950, in Indiana, United States) was an American Christian musician, composer, lyricist, preacher, and radio personality. He attended Bob Jones University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Church Music and a Master’s degree in Church Music Composition. After completing his education he joined Majesty Music, a Christian music publishing company founded by his father-in-law, and later served as its president and owner.

Hamilton lost his left eye to cancer in 1978 and subsequently became widely known by the nickname “Patch the Pirate”, a persona he developed after beginning to wear an eye patch. Under this character he created the Patch the Pirate Adventure series, a long-running series of children’s musical recordings combining story and song; these recordings were released annually from 1981 and distributed nationally and internationally.

As a songwriter and composer he published hundreds of songs and hymn texts, and wrote numerous cantatas, children’s stories, and plays. His compositions include titles such as Rejoice in the Lord, Lord, I Need You, Wings as Eagles, Here Am I, Lord, and many others appearing in hymn and sacred music collections. He also authored Christmas and Easter cantatas such as Born to Die and The Hope of Christmas.

Hamilton married Shelly Garlock Hamilton in 1975, and they had five children. The Hamilton family worked together on the Patch the Pirate series and in the operations of Majesty Music for several decades. In 2017 Hamilton was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, which curtailed his active involvement in music.

Ron Hamilton entered hospice care on April 16, 2023, and died at his home on April 19, 2023, at age 72.