Jack Parnell
Jack Parnell | |
---|---|
Birth name | John Russell Parnell |
Born | (1923-08-06)6 August 1923 London |
Died | 8 August 2010(2010-08-08) (aged 87) Southwold, Suffolk, England |
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician Bandleader |
Instrument | Drums |
Years active | 1944-2010 |
John Russell Parnell (6 August 1923 – 8 August 2010) was an English musician and musical director.[1][2]
Biography
Parnell was born into a theatrical family in London, England.[2] His uncle was the theatrical impresario Val Parnell.[3]
During his military service in the 1940s he became a member of Buddy Featherstonhaugh’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".[4] During the 1940s and 1950s, he was voted best drummer in the Melody Maker poll for seven years in succession.
He was appointed as the musical director for ATV in 1956,[2] a post he held until 1981, and was the "real" conductor for The Muppet Show orchestra for the series entire run and composed the score theme to ITC Entertainment.[3] Throughout the 1960s, Parnell directed the pit orchestra for Sunday Night at the London Palladium.[2] He composed many television themes, including Love Story (for which he won the Harriet Cohen Award), Father Brown, The Golden Shot and Family Fortunes. He was a regular judge on the ATV talent show New Faces. He was also the musical director for ATV's version of The Benny Hill Show.[3]
In the 1970s, he had co-founded the group The Best of British Jazz with Kenny Baker, Don Lusher, Betty Smith, Tony Lee, and Tony Archer, which performed until 1985.[5]
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, 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.[2]
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).[3] Parnell died in Southwold, Suffolk, from the effects of cancer on 8 August 2010, two days after his 87th birthday.[3]
References
- ^ "Muppet Show conductor Jack Parnell dies". The Daily Telegraph. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 934. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ a b c d e "2010 July to December". The Dead Rock Stars Club. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ Jack Parnell Biography www.allmusic.com
- ^ ITA Journal, volume 34, page 39 (2006)
External links
- Louis Barfe, "Jack Parnell – master of many trades", Sounds On
- The Jack Parnell Orchestra big band line-ups from 1951 to 1958
- v
- t
- e
- Peter Matz (1970)
- Dominic Frontiere (1971)
- Elliot Lawrence (1972)
- Peter Matz (1973)
- Jack Parnell, Ken & Mitzie Welch (1974)
- No Award (1975)
- Seiji Ozawa (1976)
- Ian Fraser (1977)
- Ian Fraser (1978)
- No Award (1979)
- Ian Fraser (1980)
- Ian Fraser, Chris Boardman, Billy Byers, and Bob Florence (1981)
- Bill Elton, Elliot Lawrence, Lanny Meyers, Tommy Newsom, Jonathan Tunick, and Torrie Zito (1982)
- Dick Hyman (1983)
- Ian Fraser, Chris Boardman, Billy Byers, J. Hill, and Lenny Stack (1984)
- Ian Fraser, Billy Byers, and Angela Morley (1985)
- Elliot Lawrence, James Lawrence, Lanny Meyers, Tommy Newsom, Glen Roven, Larry Schwartz, and Torrie Zito (1986)
- Buster Davis, Don Pippin, and Eric Stern (1987)
- Ian Fraser, Chris Boardman, Alexander Courage, and Angela Morley (1988)
- Ian Fraser, Chris Boardman, and J. Hill (1989)
- Ian Fraser, Billy Byers, Chris Boardman, Bob Florence, J. Hill, and Angela Morley (1990)
- Ian Fraser, Billy Byers, Chris Boardman, and J. Hill (1991)
- Bill Conti, Jack Eskew, Julie Giroux, Ashley Irwin, and Hummie Mann (1992)
- Ian Fraser (1993)
- Michael Rafter (1994)
- Marvin Hamlisch (1995)
- Glen Roven (1996)
- Mark Watters (1997)
- Bill Conti (1998)
- Mark Adler (1999)
- Paul Bogaev (2000)
- Marvin Hamlisch (2001)
- Mark Watters (2002)
- Bill Conti (2003)
- Harry Connick Jr. (2004)
- Michael Kosarin (2005)
- Paul Gemignani (2006)
- William Ross (2007)
- Steve Jordan and Mark Watters (2008)
- William Ross (2009)
- Dave Pierce (2010)
- Harry Connick Jr. (2011)
- Rob Berman and Rob Mathes (2012)
- Elliot Lawrence (2013)
- Don Was (2014)
- Greg Phillinganes (2015)
- Danny Elfman (2016)
- Rickey Minor (2017)
- Gregg Field (2018)
- Alex Lacamoire (2019)
- Rickey Minor (2020)
- Bo Burnham (2021)
- Adam Blackstone (2022)
- Greg Phillinganes (2023)