# Ronnie Verrell

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ronnie_Verrell
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ronnie_Verrell.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Verrell
> Source revision: 1347140371
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{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](/source/Rochester%2C_Kent), [Kent](/source/Kent), England
| death_date          = {{death date|2002|2|22|df=y}} (aged 76)
| death_place         = [Kingston-upon-Thames](/source/Kingston-upon-Thames), England
| origin              = 
| instrument          = [Drums](/source/Drum_kit)
| genre               = [Jazz](/source/Jazz), [big band](/source/big_band)
| occupation          = [Musician](/source/Musician)
| years_active        = Mid-1940s–2001
| label               = 
| website  =  
}}

'''Ronald Thomas Verrell''' (21 February 1926 &ndash; 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](/source/Ted_Heath_(bandleader)) Orchestra and the [Syd Lawrence](/source/Syd_Lawrence) Orchestra. Verrell also worked extensively in television, including as a drummer in [Jack Parnell](/source/Jack_Parnell)'s [ATV](/source/Associated_Television) Orchestra and ''[Sunday Night at the London Palladium](/source/Sunday_Night_at_the_London_Palladium)''. He also provided the drumming for ''[The Muppet Show](/source/The_Muppet_Show)''{{'}}s [Animal](/source/Animal_(Muppet)), and was a "Skinnerette" on ''[The Frank Skinner Show](/source/The_Frank_Skinner_Show)''.

''[The Scotsman](/source/The_Scotsman)'' called Verrell a "driving band drummer" and an "exciting soloist".<ref name=Mathieson/> ''[The Daily Telegraph](/source/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](/source/Rochester%2C_Kent), [Kent](/source/Kent) in England.<ref name=Mathieson/> Initially he showed little interest in music until he saw the [Benny Goodman](/source/Benny_Goodman) Quartet perform in a film, ''[Hollywood Hotel](/source/Hollywood_Hotel_(film))'' 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](/source/World_War_II), the 14-year-old Verrell was evacuated to [Porthcawl](/source/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](/source/Conscription_in_the_United_Kingdom) to work as a [Bevin Boy](/source/Bevin_Boys) 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](/source/Tommy_Whittle) and Belgian trumpeter [Johnny Claes](/source/Johnny_Claes). Then between 1947 and 1951 he played with several [big band](/source/big_band)s, including those led by [Carl Barriteau](/source/Carl_Barriteau) and [Cyril Stapleton](/source/Cyril_Stapleton). In September 1951 Verrell joined the [Ted Heath](/source/Ted_Heath_(bandleader)) 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](/source/Swing_music) sessions at the [London Palladium](/source/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](/source/Session_musician) and backed many popular artists, including [Jack Jones](/source/Jack_Jones_(singer)), [Tony Bennett](/source/Tony_Bennett), [Tom Jones](/source/Tom_Jones_(singer)), [Shirley Bassey](/source/Shirley_Bassey), [Jonathan King](/source/Jonathan_King), [Petula Clark](/source/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](/source/Winifred_Atwell),  and [Strawbs](/source/Strawbs). Verrell also joined [Jack Parnell](/source/Jack_Parnell)'s [house band](/source/house_band) at [ATV](/source/Associated_Television), playing with them for ten years. In 1980 Verrell joined [Syd Lawrence](/source/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](/source/The_Muppet_Show)'' where he played drums for the show's manic puppet drummer, [Animal](/source/Animal_(Muppet)).<ref name=Mathieson/><ref name=Telegraph/><ref name=Vacher/> When American drummer [Buddy Rich](/source/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](/source/snare_drum) over Rich's head.<ref name=JazzProfessional/>

In the mid-1990s, Verrell formed his own band, a [quintet](/source/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](/source/The_Frank_Skinner_Show)'' in 2001.<ref name=Telegraph/>

Verrell died on 22 February 2002 in [Kingston-upon-Thames](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/The_Independent) | date = 2002-02-27 | access-date = 2010-04-26}}</ref>

</references>

{{Authority control}}

{{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

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ronnie Verrell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Verrell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Verrell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.