Last year, I learned of a Kalamazoo legend - Boombox Ronnie. I saw him a couple of times in downtown, doin' his thing, and livin' his best life. I was legit worried that a personality like his would get made fun of, as many other communities I've lived in aren't as accepting of big personalities.

But not Kalamazoo. Boombox Ronnie was a legend, and could ALWAYS make you smile, even if he had NO idea who you were. But has anyone seen him in a while? Is he good?

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Who is Boombox Ronnie?

It seems like this is a right of passage for people moving to Kalamazoo, but you HAVE to learn about Boombox Ronnie. He was often seen in the Vine Neighborhood, or around downtown in costumes - Captain America, Spongebob, etc. - and singin' and dancin' along with his signature boombox.

Hence the name... Boombox Ronnie.

Back in 2020, during the pandemic, he was often spotted around town doing his best to bring a smile to people through the windows of establishments.

He is so popular in the community, even, that he has facebook pages dedicated to him. One of them, a tribute group, would post updates on Ronnie, where he was, and how he was doing.

But those posts have gone down significantly in the past year or so.

Where is Boombox Ronnie

Some residents got worried when Ronnie slowly started disappearing off the streets of Kalamazoo, and people wanted to know if he was OK.

Thankfully, yes, he is. In the Tribute Facebook Page, several people report back in February and March, that they've run into Ronnie, and he is doing quite well.

One group member wrote:

"Talked to him a while back. Glad he is doing good. Am very proud of him."

Several others report that they bump into him around town, and confirm that he's still livin' the good life, just a little more low-key than before.