February 21, 2023(2023-02-21) (aged 76) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Instrument(s)
Piano, keyboards
Musical artist
Ronald Steven Altbach (December 24, 1946 – February 21, 2023) was an American keyboardist and songwriter who co-founded French-American rock band
King Harvest,[1][2] and played the Wurlitzer electric piano intro on their single "
Dancing in the Moonlight" (1973).[3][4] He later became a session keyboardist for
The Beach Boys[5] and penned songs for the group.[4] Altbach was a member of
Celebration, a group led by Beach Boys co-founder
Mike Love.[2] In 1979, Altbach played keyboards in the band Clean Athletic & Talented (C.A.T.); the band, including John Huff, recorded an album.