Ray Ellington

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Ellington

<The Times, March 2, 1985>

<RAY ELLINGTON>

Ray Ellington, the ebullient dance band leader who became nationally known in the 1950s through his contributions to _The Goon Show_, has died of cancer at the age of 69.

A big, genial man, he was born in south London of an American negro father and White Russian mother and he originally trained to be a cabinet maker. But he gave this up to pursue a career as a drummer and spent five years as a drummer-vocalist with the Harry Roy band. During the Second World War he was a physical training instructor in the Royal Air Force and he remained a fitness fanatic, paying regular visits to a gymnasium.

He formed his own Quartet in 1947 and through one-night stands, recordng sessions and radio and television he became one of the highest paid band leaders in Europe. But he reached his biggest audience during his nine year association with _The Goon Show_, in which his husky voice became as well known as the surreal characters played by Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe.

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