John Russell Parnell (6 August 1923 – 8 August 2010) was an English

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

and musical director.

Biography

Parnell was born into a theatrical family in London, England. His uncle was the theatrical impresario Val Parnell. During his military service in the 1940s he became a member of

Buddy Featherstonhaugh Rupert Edward Lee "Buddy" Featherstonhaugh ( ; 4 October 1909 – 12 July 1976) was an English jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Musical career Born in Paris in 1909, the son of an English marine architect and his Scottish wife. His grandfath ...

’s Radio Rhythm Club Sextet and played drums with Vic Lewis and other servicemen who were keen on jazz. From 1944 to 1946 Parnell recorded with Lewis, and the Lewis-Parnell Jazzmen’s version of "Ugly Child". During the 1940s and 1950s, he was voted best drummer in the ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'' poll for seven years in succession. He was appointed as the musical director for ATV in 1956, a post he held until 1981, and was the "real" conductor for ''

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'' orchestra for the series entire run and composed the score theme to

ITC Entertainment The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in the production and distribution of television programmes. History Incorporated Television Programme C ...

. Throughout the 1960s, Parnell directed the pit orchestra for '' Sunday Night at the London Palladium''. He composed many television themes, including '' Love Story'' (for which he won the Harriet Cohen Award), ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective. He is featured in 53 short stories by English author G. K. Chesterton, published between 1910 and 1936. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuition and ...

'', '' The Golden Shot'' and '' Family Fortunes''. He was a regular judge on the ATV talent show ''

New Faces ''New Faces'' is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central. Original series: ...

''. He was also the musical director for ATV's version of ''

The Benny Hill Show ''The Benny Hill Show'' is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketch comedy, sketches typified by slapstick, mime, parody, and ...

''. In the 1970s, he had co-founded the group The Best of British Jazz with Kenny Baker, Don Lusher,

Betty Smith Betty Smith (born Elisabeth Lillian Wehner; December 15, 1896 – January 17, 1972) was an American playwright and novelist, who wrote the 1943 bestseller '' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn''. Early years Smith was born Elisabeth Lillian Wehner on Dec ...

Tony Lee Tony Lee is a British comics writer, screenwriter, audio playwright, and novelist. Early life Born in 1970, Tony Lee attended Hayes Manor School, now Rosedale College. Career A #1 ''New York Times'' bestselling writer, Lee has written for ...

, and Tony Archer, which performed until 1985.''ITA Journal'', volume 34, page 39 (2006) From 1991 until he died, Parnell was part of the Norfolk-based Mike Capocci Trio, with Capocci on piano and Mike Harris on the double bass. They backed saxophonists

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

, Ronnie Ross, and Kathy Stobart. In 1994, he took over as the leader of the London Big Band, which comprised some of Britain's leading jazz musicians.

Personal life and death

Parnell had three sons and two daughters (including Ric Parnell, who played the drummer Mick Shrimpton in the film '' This Is Spinal Tap''). Parnell died in

Southwold Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the North Sea, in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth, Suffolk, River Blyth in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths ...

, Suffolk, from the effects of cancer on 8 August 2010, two days after his 87th birthday.

References

External links

* Louis Barfe
"Jack Parnell – master of many trades"
''Sounds On''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parnell, Jack 1923 births 2010 deaths Primetime Emmy Award winners English bandleaders English jazz drummers English male drummers English jazz pianists Royal Air Force airmen Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Deaths from cancer in England Music directors 20th-century English pianists 20th-century English drummers English male pianists 20th-century English male musicians British male jazz pianists