He was born in a small attic apartment at Lækjargata 12a in Reykjavík, and was the son of Bjarni Böðvarsson, a conductor of a renowned orchestra and Lára Magnúsdóttir a famous singer and also long-time singer in a church choir.
Ragnar started as a drummer. At 16 he sang with Sigurður Ólafsson and by the age of 20 had his own albums. In 1955-1956, he became vocalist of Hljómsveit Svavars Gests (a relation that would go on until 1960) and in 1956, became a singer with KK sextet that continued until 1959. At the time, he released albums of his own.
After spending two years abroad, he returned in 1964, he rejoined Svavar briefly, before formed his own band in 1965 when Svavar's orchestra stopped performing. The band would play for 19 consecutive years at Hótel Saga. In 1972, he also founded Sumargleðin that toured the country gaining great fame.
1957: "Mærin frá Mexico" // "Óli Rokkariagnar" (with KK Sextet) (HSH)
1957: "Flökku Jói" // "Anastasía" (with KK Sextet) (HSH)
1958: "Lína segir stopp" // "Síðasti vagninn í Sogamýri" (HSH)
1968: "Líf og fjör" // "Tequila" (with KK Sextet) (HSH)
1959: "Vor við flóann" // "Hvítir svanir' (HSH)
1960: "Rock og Cha-cha-cha" // "Ævintýri" (Íslenskir Tónar)
1960: "Komdu í kvöld" // "Vertu ekki að horfa svona alltaf á mig" (Íslenskir Tónar)
1960: "Farðu frá..." // "Hún var með dimmblá augu" (Íslenskir Tónar)
1960: "Hún Gunna og hann Jón" // "Eins og fólk er flest" (Íslenskir Tónar)
1960: "Litla stúlkan mín" // "Ég er kokkur á kútter frá Sandi" (Íslenskir Tónar)
1961: "Ég er alltaf fyrir öllum" // "Komdu vina" (Íslenskir Tónar)
1961: "Vorkvöld í Reykjavík" / "Landafræði og ást" // "Þórsmerkurljóð" (Sigurdór Sigurdórsson) / "Komdu í kvöld" (Íslenskir Tónar)
1962: "Peppermint twist" // "Twistin' at the bop" // "You must have been a beautiful baby" / Twistin' postman" // "Twist her" // "Everybody's twistin' down in Mexico" (Íslenskir Tónar)
1962: "Ship-o-hoj" // "Nótt í Moskvu" (Íslenskir Tónar)
