{{Short description|English jazz drummer}} {{Use British English|date=November 2010}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Ronnie Verrell | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = Ronald Thomas Verrell | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|1926|2|21|df=y}} | birth_place = Rochester, Kent, England | death_date = {{death date|2002|2|22|df=y}} (aged 76) | death_place = Kingston-upon-Thames, England | origin = | instrument = Drums | genre = Jazz, big band | occupation = Musician | years_active = Mid-1940s–2001 | label = | website = }}
'''Ronald Thomas Verrell''' (21 February 1926 – 22 February 2002) was an English jazz drummer. He played in two of the United Kingdom's "most famous"<ref name=Mathieson/> big bands, the Ted Heath Orchestra and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Verrell also worked extensively in television, including as a drummer in Jack Parnell's ATV Orchestra and ''Sunday Night at the London Palladium''. He also provided the drumming for ''The Muppet Show''{{'}}s Animal, and was a "Skinnerette" on ''The Frank Skinner Show''.
''The Scotsman'' called Verrell a "driving band drummer" and an "exciting soloist".<ref name=Mathieson/> ''The Daily Telegraph'' said Verrell had a "rare combination of craftsmanship and bravura showmanship" and called him "Britain's best-known big band drummer for half a century".<ref name=Telegraph/>
==Biography== Ronnie Verrell was born on 21 February 1926 in Rochester, Kent in England.<ref name=Mathieson/> Initially he showed little interest in music until he saw the Benny Goodman Quartet perform in a film, ''Hollywood Hotel'' in 1938. Verrell was so impressed by what he saw, he stayed to watch the film a second time.<ref name=Voce/> He wanted to be a drummer and taught himself how to play after only one lesson.<ref name=JazzProfessional/> In 1940, after the outbreak of World War II, the 14-year-old Verrell was evacuated to Porthcawl in South Wales, where he made his first public appearances drumming with local bands in the area.<ref name=Telegraph/><ref name=Vacher/> He returned to Kent in 1943 and worked professionally for a while with the Claude Giddins band, before being conscripted to work as a Bevin Boy in the coal mines for the remainder of the war.<ref name=Telegraph/><ref name=JazzProfessional/>
In the mid-1940s Verrell began performing with Scottish saxophonist Tommy Whittle and Belgian trumpeter Johnny Claes. Then between 1947 and 1951 he played with several big bands, including those led by Carl Barriteau and Cyril Stapleton. In September 1951 Verrell joined the Ted Heath Orchestra and remained with the band until Heath's retirement in 1964. At the time Heath's band was the leading British big band,<ref name=Mathieson/> and they performed at many concerts, including Sunday-night swing sessions at the London Palladium.<ref name=Vacher/> They toured America in 1956 and were the first British big band to break into the US big band arena.<ref name=Vacher/> Verrell played on many Heath hits, including "The Champ", "Hot Toddy" and "Swingin' Shepherd Blues".<ref name=Telegraph/> One of his best known drum solos with the orchestra was the "Hawaiian War Chant".<ref name=Mathieson/>
After leaving Heath's band Verrell focused on session work and backed many popular artists, including Jack Jones, Tony Bennett, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Jonathan King, Petula Clark<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/petula-clark-downtown|title=Petula Clark 'Downtown' {{!}}|website=www.soundonsound.com|access-date=2018-09-24}}</ref>, Winifred Atwell, and Strawbs. Verrell also joined Jack Parnell's house band at ATV, playing with them for ten years. In 1980 Verrell joined Syd Lawrence's band and stayed with them for almost 20 years.<ref name=Mathieson/>
Verrell also performed in several television shows, including ''The Muppet Show'' where he played drums for the show's manic puppet drummer, Animal.<ref name=Mathieson/><ref name=Telegraph/><ref name=Vacher/> When American drummer Buddy Rich, one of Verrell's heroes, guested on the show, Verrell (as Animal) had a drumming duel with Rich, and won after Animal smashed a snare drum over Rich's head.<ref name=JazzProfessional/>
In the mid-1990s, Verrell formed his own band, a quintet he modelled after Benny Goodman's band.<ref name=Mathieson/> Several years later Verrell was involved in a serious road accident that forced him to stop performing for almost a year. But after recovering he continued to play with Lawrence's band.<ref name=Telegraph/> In 2000 Verrell toured with an all-star band, Best of British, where his drum solos earned him standing ovations. His final appearance was on ''The Frank Skinner Show'' in 2001.<ref name=Telegraph/>
Verrell died on 22 February 2002 in Kingston-upon-Thames in England, one day after his 76th birthday. The cause of death was a chest infection he contracted during an operation to fix a crushed vertebra resulting from a fall down some stairs in November 2001.<ref name=JazzProfessional/><ref name=Chadbourne/> Verrell was married three times and had three daughters, Sherry, Faye, and Lara. He also has three grandchildren, Sherry's son David, Faye's daughter Bethany, and Lara's daughter Ellie-Jaye.<ref name=Vacher/>
==References== <references>
*<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite web | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1386743/Ronnie-Verrell.html | title = Ronnie Verrell | work = The Daily Telegraph | date = 2002-03-05 | access-date = 2010-04-26}}</ref> *<ref name=JazzProfessional>{{cite web | url = http://www.jazzprofessional.com/report/Ronnie%20Verrell.htm | title = Ronnie Verrell | work = Jazz Professional | access-date = 2010-04-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120621011819/http://www.jazzprofessional.com/report/Ronnie%20Verrell.htm |archive-date = 2012-06-21}}</ref> *<ref name=Chadbourne>{{cite web | url = {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p134630/biography|pure_url=yes}} | last = Chadbourne | first = Eugene | title = Ronnie Verrell | publisher = AllMusic| access-date = 2010-04-26}}</ref> *<ref name=Mathieson>{{cite web | url = http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/obituaries/Ronnie-Verrell.2311584.jp | last = Mathieson | first = Kenny | title = Obituaries: Ronnie Verrell | work = The Scotsman | date = 2002-03-20 | access-date = 2010-04-26}}</ref> *<ref name=Vacher>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries/story/0,3604,669916,00.html | last = Vacher | first = Peter | title = Obituaries: Ronnie Verrell | work = The Guardian | date = 2002-03-19 | access-date = 2010-04-26}}</ref> *<ref name=Voce>{{cite web | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ronnie-verrell-729781.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110923112158/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ronnie-verrell-729781.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 23 September 2011 | last = Voce | first = Steve | title = Ronnie Verrell | work = The Independent | date = 2002-02-27 | access-date = 2010-04-26}}</ref>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Verrell, Ronnie}} Category:1926 births Category:2002 deaths Category:people from Rochester, Kent Category:English jazz drummers Category:English male drummers Category:Bevin Boys Category:English male jazz musicians Category:20th-century English male musicians