User:Piano35/Ralph Dollimore

Ralph Dollimore born 20 Dec 1930 died 25 August 1988.

First LIVE BBC radio broadcast at the age of 13 when he played Chopin’s Minute Waltz.

Studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Army service with Royal Tank Regiment and played with service bands during National Service

Ralph was a highly respected pianist in British jazz, pop and light music and started playing professionally when he joined Kenny Graham’s ‘Afro Cubists’ in 1951. (one of the leading British Jazz groups of the time). He formed his own trio with Don Lawson (drums) and Arthur Watts (bass) and played as support to the Ted Heath band. Ted then offered him a place in the band (he was 22!). After leaving Ted Heath he played with many top bands before working with Geraldo from 1954 until 1958. Whilst with Geraldo he composed ‘The Big City Suite’, which in 1955 was one of the very first winners of the prestigious ‘Ivor Novello Award’ (‘The Ivors’) (Outstanding swing composition 1955 award (1956 presentation)) Worked with many top stars of the time: Alma Cogan, Judy Garland, Petula Clark, Anne Shelton, Ronnie Hilton, Lonnie Donegan, Lena Horne and Matt Monro. Ralph can be heard on many pop records of the 1950s and 1960s. (Frankie Vaughan’s ‘Green Door’, Helen Shapiro’s ‘Walking back to happiness’, Scott Walker’s ‘Joanna’, Dusty Springfield’s ‘The Look of Love’) As well as arranging and conducting albums for Vince Hill and Dakota Staton there were also three successful albums featuring Ralph on piano. Whilst busily arranging music and working as a session player Ralph was always in close contact with the Ted Heath organization and took up the baton to lead the band when Ted became ill in the mid 1960s. As well as the regular work with the band they started to tour with Tom Jones. Ralph then became Tom Jones MD in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With his own orchestra he also toured with people like Della Reese, Vicki Carr, Tony Bennett, Lou Rawls, The Supremes, Bobby Gentry, Johnny Mathis, Billy Eckstein to name just a few! Ralph composed for a number of TV adverts and a vast amount of ‘Production Library Music’ ‘Hit and Run‘ and ‘Man, Go Man’ being among the most popular.