Ron Lane Takes Scholarly Approach to Life After Cover Story

Photo by Jeanne Rice

Ron Lane is all smiles in Orange County recently.

​Issues won't be changed out on OC Weekly newsstands for another day, but the story is already changing when it comes to the current cover feature, "Found In Space: For his 20th birthday, Ryan Lane got a present he'd been wanting his whole life: Ron Lane."

Titled "My Brother's Keeper" online (also see the amazing slideshow by Ryan's mom, Jeanne Rice), the piece is about two half brothers--one in Costa Mesa, the other in Kingman, Arizona--who found one another on MySpace and met for the first time recently in Orange County.

Ron Lane, the native Californian-turned-Arizoner, is described in the story as a high school drop-out "content working at a media store" he described to me as "Borders meets Blockbuster."

That was contrasted against Ryan Lane, the Costa Mesan portrayed in the piece as a "driven community-college student preparing to transfer to a four-year university."

Space limitations squeezed out the fact that Ron said during one of his interviews that he plans to attend community college in Kingman and transfer eventually to Arizona State University, where a new major is offered in working for nonprofit organizations. Since the story was published, he has gone a step further, enrolling in online courses through the University of Phoenix.

Ron also said during the interview that he especially wants to work someday for a group that promotes tolerance. But that may not be where he first finds fame. A passion for singing has also been reignited in him. In fact, he got encouragement while in Orange County from Rice's boyfriend, Shane Frederickson, who fronts the band Element 17.

Remember that name, American Idol judges: Ron Lane.