353:
he modelled after Benny
Goodman's band. 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. In 2000 Verrell toured with an all-star band, Best of British, where his
270:. They toured America in 1956 and were the first British big band to break into the US big band arena. Verrell played on many Heath hits, including "The Champ", "Hot Toddy" and "Swingin' Shepherd Blues". One of his best known drum solos with the orchestra was the "Hawaiian War Chant".
371:
resulting from a fall down some stairs in
November 2001. 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.
226:
in South Wales, where he made his first public appearances drumming with local bands in the area. He returned to Kent in 1943 and worked professionally for a while with the Claude
Giddins band, before being
217:
in 1938. Verrell was so impressed by what he saw, he stayed to watch the film a second time. He wanted to be a drummer and taught himself how to play after only one lesson. In 1940, after the outbreak of
262:
Orchestra and remained with the band until Heath's retirement in 1964. At the time Heath's band was the leading
British big band, and they performed at many concerts, including Sunday-night
672:
191:
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".
474:
136:(21 February 1926 – 22 February 2002) was an English jazz drummer. He played in two of the United Kingdom's "most famous" big bands, the
667:
647:
154:
513:
367:
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
228:
342:, one of Verrell's heroes, guested on the show, Verrell (as Animal) had a drumming duel with Rich, and won after Animal smashed a
657:
652:
484:
445:
356:
259:
213:
173:
137:
318:
149:
405:
642:
637:
553:
364:
77:
662:
450:
282:
187:
290:
521:
580:
274:
267:
479:
335:
330:
278:
255:
200:
168:
160:
53:
294:
251:
631:
298:
239:
208:
606:
144:
Orchestra. Verrell also worked extensively in television, including as a drummer in
558:
410:
322:
310:
302:
286:
243:
219:
181:
145:
141:
263:
343:
339:
314:
232:
223:
207:
in
England. Initially he showed little interest in music until he saw the
610:
368:
247:
112:
102:
92:
350:
306:
354:
drum solos earned him standing ovations. His final appearance was on
238:
In the mid-1940s
Verrell began performing with Scottish saxophonist
185:
called
Verrell a "driving band drummer" and an "exciting soloist".
204:
88:
57:
328:
Verrell also performed in several television shows, including
334:
where he played drums for the show's manic puppet drummer,
321:, playing with them for ten years. In 1980 Verrell joined
246:. Then between 1947 and 1951 he played with several
118:
108:
98:
84:
64:
40:
30:
23:
508:
506:
504:
502:
325:'s band and stayed with them for almost 20 years.
349:In the mid-1990s, Verrell formed his own band, a
235:in the coal mines for the remainder of the war.
199:Ronnie Verrell was born on 21 February 1926 in
273:After leaving Heath's band Verrell focused on
8:
440:
438:
436:
434:
432:
430:
428:
399:
397:
395:
393:
391:
389:
387:
385:
277:and backed many popular artists, including
222:, the 14-year-old Verrell was evacuated to
20:
547:
545:
543:
541:
539:
381:
258:. In September 1951 Verrell joined the
7:
363:Verrell died on 22 February 2002 in
158:. He also provided the drumming for
155:Sunday Night at the London Palladium
673:20th-century English male musicians
404:Mathieson, Kenny (20 March 2002).
14:
473:Voce, Steve (27 February 2002).
552:Vacher, Peter (19 March 2002).
1:
171:, and was a "Skinnerette" on
554:"Obituaries: Ronnie Verrell"
406:"Obituaries: Ronnie Verrell"
668:British male jazz musicians
648:People from Rochester, Kent
581:"Petula Clark 'Downtown' |"
211:Quartet perform in a film,
689:
75:22 February 2002 (aged 76)
250:, including those led by
338:. When American drummer
357:The Frank Skinner Show
309:. Verrell also joined
242:and Belgian trumpeter
174:The Frank Skinner Show
658:English male drummers
653:English jazz drummers
134:Ronald Thomas Verrell
36:Ronald Thomas Verrell
605:Chadbourne, Eugene.
585:www.soundonsound.com
487:on 23 September 2011
365:Kingston-upon-Thames
78:Kingston-upon-Thames
16:English jazz drummer
451:The Daily Telegraph
188:The Daily Telegraph
346:over Rich's head.
140:Orchestra and the
518:Jazz Professional
128:
127:
680:
622:
621:
619:
617:
607:"Ronnie Verrell"
602:
596:
595:
593:
591:
577:
571:
570:
568:
566:
549:
534:
533:
531:
529:
520:. Archived from
514:"Ronnie Verrell"
510:
497:
496:
494:
492:
483:. Archived from
475:"Ronnie Verrell"
470:
464:
463:
461:
459:
446:"Ronnie Verrell"
442:
423:
422:
420:
418:
401:
268:London Palladium
266:sessions at the
166:
124:mid-1940s – 2001
121:
74:
72:
51:21 February 1926
50:
48:
33:
21:
688:
687:
683:
682:
681:
679:
678:
677:
628:
627:
626:
625:
615:
613:
604:
603:
599:
589:
587:
579:
578:
574:
564:
562:
551:
550:
537:
527:
525:
524:on 21 June 2012
512:
511:
500:
490:
488:
480:The Independent
472:
471:
467:
457:
455:
444:
443:
426:
416:
414:
403:
402:
383:
378:
331:The Muppet Show
279:Winifred Atwell
256:Cyril Stapleton
214:Hollywood Hotel
197:
164:
161:The Muppet Show
131:
119:
76:
70:
68:
52:
46:
44:
31:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
686:
684:
676:
675:
670:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
630:
629:
624:
623:
597:
572:
535:
498:
465:
454:. 5 March 2002
424:
380:
379:
377:
374:
295:Shirley Bassey
252:Carl Barriteau
196:
193:
152:Orchestra and
130:Musical artist
129:
126:
125:
122:
116:
115:
110:
106:
105:
100:
96:
95:
86:
82:
81:
66:
62:
61:
42:
38:
37:
34:
28:
27:
25:Ronnie Verrell
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
685:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
635:
633:
612:
608:
601:
598:
586:
582:
576:
573:
561:
560:
555:
548:
546:
544:
542:
540:
536:
523:
519:
515:
509:
507:
505:
503:
499:
486:
482:
481:
476:
469:
466:
453:
452:
447:
441:
439:
437:
435:
433:
431:
429:
425:
413:
412:
407:
400:
398:
396:
394:
392:
390:
388:
386:
382:
375:
373:
370:
366:
361:
359:
358:
352:
347:
345:
341:
337:
333:
332:
326:
324:
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
300:
299:Jonathan King
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
271:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
240:Tommy Whittle
236:
234:
231:to work as a
230:
225:
221:
216:
215:
210:
209:Benny Goodman
206:
202:
194:
192:
190:
189:
184:
183:
178:
176:
175:
170:
163:
162:
157:
156:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
123:
117:
114:
111:
107:
104:
101:
97:
94:
90:
87:
83:
79:
67:
63:
59:
55:
43:
39:
35:
29:
22:
19:
614:. Retrieved
600:
590:24 September
588:. Retrieved
584:
575:
563:. Retrieved
559:The Guardian
557:
526:. Retrieved
522:the original
517:
489:. Retrieved
485:the original
478:
468:
456:. Retrieved
449:
415:. Retrieved
411:The Scotsman
409:
362:
355:
348:
329:
327:
323:Syd Lawrence
311:Jack Parnell
303:Petula Clark
287:Tony Bennett
275:session work
272:
244:Johnny Claes
237:
220:World War II
212:
198:
186:
182:The Scotsman
180:
179:
172:
159:
153:
146:Jack Parnell
142:Syd Lawrence
133:
132:
120:Years active
18:
643:2002 deaths
638:1926 births
229:conscripted
663:Bevin Boys
632:Categories
376:References
344:snare drum
340:Buddy Rich
315:house band
283:Jack Jones
109:Instrument
99:Occupation
71:2002-02-22
47:1926-02-21
32:Birth name
360:in 2001.
291:Tom Jones
260:Ted Heath
248:big bands
233:Bevin Boy
224:Porthcawl
201:Rochester
195:Biography
138:Ted Heath
80:, England
60:, England
54:Rochester
616:26 April
611:AllMusic
565:26 April
528:26 April
491:26 April
458:26 April
417:26 April
369:vertebra
103:Musician
93:big band
351:quintet
307:Strawbs
336:Animal
169:Animal
85:Genres
264:swing
165:'
113:Drums
618:2010
592:2018
567:2010
530:2010
493:2010
460:2010
419:2010
305:and
254:and
205:Kent
89:Jazz
65:Died
58:Kent
41:Born
319:ATV
317:at
313:'s
150:ATV
148:'s
634::
609:.
583:.
556:.
538:^
516:.
501:^
477:.
448:.
427:^
408:.
384:^
301:,
297:,
293:,
289:,
285:,
281:,
203:,
177:.
167:s
91:,
56:,
620:.
594:.
569:.
532:.
495:.
462:.
421:.
73:)
69:(
49:)
45:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.