Ranville started a band called C-Weed and the Weeds with his brothers Wally and Don when they were in high school.[2] The band was formed in 1984 and by 1986 had changed their name to C-Weed and released four albums.[1][3]
In 1987, Ranville left the band and started his own project, Free Bird. Both bands continued to perform the C-Weed repertoire in the Winnipeg area, along with some new material.[4]
In 2010, Ranville was injured in a serious car crash in which his wife Marcie & 4 others died. He was initially charged with careless driving, but later cleared of those charges.[5]
He was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards in 2011.[1]
In 2017, a short film about Ranville's life was created by filmmaker Gary Zubeck.[6] The film was shown at the Winnipeg Film Festival and aired on CBC Television.[7]
In 2021, Ranville published a memoir entitled Run as One: My Story, published by Great Plains Press.[8]