{{Short description|English composer, pianist, arranger and musical director}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Use British English|date=September 2015}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2024}} thumb|right|250px|Russell Churney. Hemel Hempstead Old Town Hall Arts Centre, October 2005.
'''Russell Churney''' (10 September 1964 – 27 February 2007) was an English composer, pianist, arranger and musical director, and a member of the comedy/cabaret group, Fascinating Aïda. Ooberman keyboardist and vocalist Sophia Churney is his sister.
==Biography== Born as '''Lindsay Russell Churney''' in Liverpool, Churney was educated at Merchant Taylors' School in Great Crosby and Trinity College, Cambridge. He studied Law.
He spent seven years working with the comedian Julian Clary, touring extensively with Clary and singer Barb Jungr, and appearing with Jungr on Clary's Channel 4 TV series ''Sticky Moments with Julian Clary''. Together with Jungr, he devised and performed in shows including ''Bare'', ''Killing Me Softly'', ''Songs From The Heart'', ''Chanson: The Space in Between'', ''Barb, Bob and Brel'', and the musical ''The Ballad of Norah's Ark''.
He recorded the album ''Durga Rising'' (1997) with Jungr and percussionist Kuljit Bhamra,<ref>{{cite web |title=Durga Rising - Kuljit Bhamra, Barb Jungr, Russell Churney |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/durga-rising-mw0001244497 |website=AllMusic |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref> and he performs on Jungr's albums ''Bare'' (1999), ''Chanson: The Space in Between'' (2000), and ''Every Grain of Sand: Barb Jungr Sings Bob Dylan'' (2002).
With Des de Moor (like Jungr, a chansonnier, or singer of chansons), he devised and performed in ''Darkness and Disgrace: Travels with a Wild-Eyed Alien from Bromley'', a show directed by Jungr and based around songs by David Bowie. Churney and de Moor also recorded an accompanying album ''Darkness and Disgrace: Des de Moor and Russell Churney Perform the Songs of David Bowie'' (2003), featuring Jungr.
Other musical shows on which Churney worked as musical director and pianist include ''Portraits in Song'' (with Elizabeth Mansfield), ''The Lonely Fate of the Femme Fatale'' (with Sandra Lawrence), ''Back With You'' (with Dillie Keane), ''Cabaret Whores'' (with Howard Samuels), ''Straker Sings Brel'' (with Peter Straker), and ''Big Night Out at the Little Palace Theatre'' (with Sandi Toksvig and Dillie Keane).
He also recorded the albums ''One Last Flutter'' with Fascinating Aida and ''Back With You'' with Dillie Keane. He composed original scores for films including ''One Minute Past Midnight'' (directed by Celia Galan Julve, 2004) and the Channel 4 documentaries ''Return Trip'' (dir Carol Morley) and ''The Alcohol Years'' (directed by Carol Morley, 2000).
thumb|right|Performers in ''The Lovely Russell'' rehearsing (top) and performing (bottom). Churney died of pancreatic cancer, aged 42. A memorial concert, ''The Lovely Russell'', was held in his honour on 29 June 2008, with performances by his friends or associates Barb Jungr, Sandi Toksvig, Fascinating Aïda, Julian Clary and many others. Sylvester McCoy donated one of his prop hats from his character in ''Doctor Who''. The proceeds of the concert went to Russell's favourite charities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thebloomsbury.com/event/run/1205|title=The Lovely Russell... | Bloomsbury Theatre|website=Thebloomsbury.com|access-date=10 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/118956-The-Lovely-Russell-Churney-Will-Be-Remembered-in-London-Charity-Gala|title="The Lovely Russell" Churney Will Be Remembered in London Charity Gala - Playbill.com|website=Playbill.com|access-date=10 February 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080117230410/http://www.musicaltalk.co.uk/episodes_0056.html MusicalTalk Podcast] episode discussing Russel Churney with Fascinating Aïda's Adele Anderson *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120110125624/http://www.fascinatingaida.co.uk/biographies/view/russell_churney Russell Churney section of the Fascinating Aïda website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110523030558/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1505992.ece Obituary], ''The Times'', 13 March 2007 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071024115638/http://www.commex.org/jenny/churney.htm Des de Moor's tribute]
{{Fascinating Aida}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Churney, Russell}} Category:1964 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Category:English composers Category:People educated at Merchant Taylors' Boys' School, Crosby Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer Category:Musicians from Liverpool Category:20th-century English pianists