Ronnie Scott

Regarded by many as the godfather of British jazz, Ronnie Scott was a fine tenor sax player but is perhaps better remembered as an important catalyst for the popularity of jazz music in Britain, especially through the long-running London Soho club which bears his name. Born in East London to the family of Russian Jewish and Portuguese immigrants, he was playing sax on stage at the age of 16, going on to tour with big bands led by Johnny Claes, Ted Heath and Bert Ambrose. He went on to form the co-operative Club Eleven band with Johnny Dankworth and others and later, playing for passengers of the Cunard liner Queen Mary enabled him to spend time in New York where he saw and took much inspiration and influence from be-bop musicians like Charlie Parker. In 1952 he was to be found playing with the Jack Parnell orchestra, going on to form his own nine-piece group (later a quartet). He also founded the Jazz Couriers with Tubby Hayes, worked with Stan Tracey and in 1959 opened Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in a basement in the heart of Soho. The club became a focal point for the British jazz movement, showcasing many leading American acts, almost as famous for the black humour of Scott's introductions as the music itself. His own playing then took a back seat, although he did contribute to various film scores, was a member of the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band and played a sax solo on the Beatles' single Lady Madonna. However, he suffered from periodic bouts of depression and died in 1996 from an accidental overdose of prescribed drugs.

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