Ralston Bowles is an American poet, songwriter, producer, musician and singer from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Ralston Bowles was born on August 31, 1952 to parents, Buel Bowles of Green Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (1913–2002) and May Jean Morgan of Vincennes, Indiana (1919–1998).
Bowles' song "Fragile", has been recorded by Peter Mulvey, Rachael Davis and Caroline Aiken. His song "Grace", based on a book by author Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?. Which he worte after reading a pre-publication galley of the book. After the book was published, singer Bono of U2 wrote and released a similar song of the same title, based on the same book; the song appeared on their album All That You Can't Leave Behind.
Bowles has served the western Michigan music scene since 1970, helping the Grand Rapids music scene to flourish while encouraging national artists to make Grand Rapids a tour stop on their schedules. He is the originator and host of the Frederik Meijer Gardens Tuesday Evening Music Club and a supporter of numerous charities through benefit concerts, he has performed alongside many songwriters of note including Arlo Guthrie, the Hothouse Flowers, T-Bone Burnett, Shawn Colvin and the Del McCoury Band.
On August 30, 2009, Bowles was featured in The Grand Rapids Press, in the paper's weekly "Sunday Profile" under the headline "SOUL MAN."