Ron Grainer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Grainer
Background information
Birth name	Ronald Erle Grainer
Born	(1922-08-11)11 August 1922 Atherton, Queensland, Australia
Died	21 February 1981(1981-02-21) (aged 58) Cuckfield, Sussex, England
Occupation(s)	Composer

Ronald Erle Grainer (born August 11, 1922 – died February 21, 1981) was a talented composer from Australia. He spent most of his career creating music in the United Kingdom. Ron Grainer is best known for writing famous theme songs for TV shows and movies.

Some of his most memorable tunes include the themes for Doctor Who, The Prisoner, Steptoe and Son, and Tales of the Unexpected. His music became a big part of these popular shows.

Ron Grainer's Life Story

Early Years in Australia

Ronald Grainer was born on August 11, 1922, in Atherton, Queensland, Australia. He was the first child of Margaret Clark, who played piano, and Ronald Albert Grainer, a storekeeper.

For his first eight years, Ron's family lived in Mt Mulligan. This was a small town built around coal mining. It was quite isolated, about 100 km west of Cairns.

To help the community feel connected, people often held dances and social events. These gatherings were very important, especially after a huge mining accident in 1921. This disaster killed 75 miners, which was a third of the town's adult population.

Young Ron Grainer performed at concerts in the years after the disaster. His mother taught him piano from age four. An older miner also encouraged him to learn the violin. As Ron's music skills grew, he could play back tunes he heard from school or on records. People remembered him playing piano even when he was very small.

School and Music Training

The Grainer family left Mt Mulligan in 1930. By 1932, they lived in Aloomba, a farming area. At age 9, Ron won second prize for solo violin at a local music competition. This was his first public music performance mentioned in newspapers.

In 1933, his family moved to Cairns. There, Ron began to seriously study music theory. His family then moved to Brisbane in 1937. He finished high school at St Joseph's College, Nudgee in 1938.

He then went to the University of Queensland in 1939. He studied civil engineering and music. His music courses included harmony and composition. He earned a diploma in piano playing.

Joining the Air Force

When World War II began, Ron Grainer joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in December 1940. He was sent to different radar stations. While there, he helped with entertainment for the soldiers. He would write and organize shows.

In March 1944, he joined the RAAF entertainment unit. He performed for his fellow airmen for a few months. However, in July 1944, he was badly injured when a drum fell on his leg. He was very ill, and doctors thought about amputating his leg. Luckily, he recovered.

He was discharged from the RAAF in September 1945 due to his injury. After this, he took a course at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music. Here, he continued his music studies.

Starting His Music Career

Ron Grainer earned his piano teaching and performing diploma in December 1949. In 1950 and 1951, he started performing solo on radio shows for the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

At first, his classical music performances were not very popular. One newspaper review even said his music needed a "blood transfusion." By the mid-1950s, Ron decided to stop playing classical music in live concerts. He later said he "always loathed performing."

Moving to London

In 1952, Ron Grainer moved to London with his wife Margot and her daughter Rel. He found some temporary jobs, including playing piano in a nightclub. One tough job was touring with a comedy act. He had to pretend to be hit by a piano lid and fall into the orchestra pit every night! He said this was harder than working on a farm in Australia.

To make ends meet, Ron and Margot even worked as caretakers for a large apartment building. Ron had to stoke boilers, and Margot cleaned stairs.

He tried to enter song contests to become more famous. In 1956, his song "England's Made of Us" got no points from the judges. The next year, "Don't Cry Little Doll" came in fourth place in the British Eurovision heats.

One of his most exciting early projects was for a TV play called Before The Sun Goes Down in 1959. This show caused panic among viewers and was even discussed in the British Parliament! It pretended a regular TV show was interrupted by news of a scary satellite over London, similar to the famous War of the Worlds radio drama.

Becoming a Famous Composer

Success with Maigret and Beyond

In 1960, Ron Grainer became well-known for his theme music for the TV series Maigret. He won an award for "Outstanding Composition for Film, TV or Radio" in 1961. After this, he received many requests to compose music for all kinds of projects.

He wrote music for funny shows like It's a Square World (1961), documentaries like Terminus (1961), and family sitcoms like Steptoe and Son (1962). He also composed for classic stories like Oliver Twist (1962) and teen movies like Some People (1962).

His most famous work from this time was the theme for Doctor Who (1963). He also wrote music for children's adventures like The Moon Spinners (1964) and dramas like To Sir, with Love (1967). Another well-known theme was for The Prisoner (1967).

Ron Grainer worked on many projects between 1960 and 1968. He once said he felt a bit sad that most people only knew him for the Doctor Who theme. This was the only one of his many tunes where someone else, Delia Derbyshire of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, created the final sound.

His busy work schedule eventually led to his first marriage ending in 1966. Later that year, he married Jennifer Dodds. Their son, Damian, was born soon after.

Life in Portugal

In September 1968, Ron Grainer moved to southern Portugal. He was tired of London traffic and worried about his eyesight. He and Jenny started a farm, growing organic fruits and vegetables. They planted and cared for 1,000 peach trees.

From 1969 to 1975, Ron Grainer continued to compose. He created themes and soundtracks for about one TV series and one film each year.

Returning to England

In April 1974, a political change in Portugal caused Ron and his family to move back to England. Damian went to school there. Ron started getting work offers again and settled in Keymer in West Sussex. In 1976, he and Jenny divorced in a friendly way, as she wanted to go back to Portugal.

Over the next five years, Ron Grainer had another burst of creativity. He scored the award-winning TV show Edward & Mrs Simpson. He also composed for Tales of the Unexpected (1979) and Rebecca (1979).

Final Years

Ron Grainer composed music for one notable show and two TV themes in 1981, the year he became suddenly ill. He passed away from cancer on February 21, 1981.

Sunday Night Thriller aired on January 18, 1981, with his music.

On May 17, 1981, his music for "The Sound Machine" episode of Tales of the Unexpected was broadcast. It featured a character who loved "Sounds I long to hear – Songs beyond the planets."

The last of Ron Grainer's TV themes, It Takes A Worried Man, was shown on October 21, 1981.

Ron Grainer died from a spinal tumour on February 21, 1981.

Music Collections

Only three collections of Ron Grainer's music have been released for sale.

• In 1969, Themes Like — (RCA) came out, featuring his well-known songs from the 1960s.
• This was followed by Exciting Television Music of Ron Grainer (RCA, 1980), which covered his work from the 1970s.
• In 1994, a CD with thirty of his songs was released as part of the A to Z of British TV Themes project.

Awards and Nominations

Ron Grainer received several awards and nominations for his amazing music.

Awards He Won

• Maigret (1961): Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Composition for Film, TV or Radio.
• Steptoe and Son (1962): Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Composition for Film, TV or Radio.
• The Home Made Car (1963): Silver Bear Award for Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Nominations He Received

• The Home Made Car (1963): Nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject at the Academy Awards USA in 1964.
• Flickers (1980): Nominated for a BAFTA Best Television Music Award in 1981.
• Shelley (1979): Nominated for a BAFTA Best Television Music Award in 1981.
• Tales of the Unexpected (1979): Nominated for a BAFTA Best Television Music Award in 1981.

Film Music (Some Examples)

• Terminus (1961)
• A Kind of Loving (1962)
• Some People (1962)
• The Dock Brief (1962)
• Station Six-Sahara (1962)
• The King's Breakfast (1963)
• The Mouse on the Moon (1963)
• The Caretaker (1963)
• Nothing But the Best (1964)
• Night Must Fall (1964)
• The Moon-Spinners (1964)
• To Sir, with Love (1967)
• Only When I Larf (1968)
• Before Winter Comes (1969)
• The Assassination Bureau (1969)
• Lock Up Your Daughters (1969)
• In Search of Gregory (1969)
• Hoffman (1970)
• The Omega Man (1971)
• Mutiny on the Buses (1972)
• Yellow Dog (1973)
• Mousey (1974)
• I Don't Want to Be Born (1975)
• One Away (1976)
• The ... Adventures of Tom Jones (1976)
• Never Never Land (1980)

Television Music (Some Examples)

• The Widow of Bath (1959)
• Maigret (1960)
• Comedy Playhouse (1961)
• That Was the Week That Was (1962)
• Steptoe and Son (1962)
• Giants of Steam (1963)
• The Home-Made Car (1963)
• Doctor Who (1963)
• Man in a Suitcase (1967)
• The Prisoner (1967)
• Paul Temple (1969)
• For the Love of Ada (1970)
• The Train Now Standing (1972)
• South Riding (1974)
• Edward & Mrs. Simpson (1978)
• Malice Aforethought (1979)
• Tales of the Unexpected (1979)
• Rebecca (1979 miniseries)
• Shelley (1979)
• Flickers (1980)
• Saturday Night Thriller (1981)
• It Takes A Worried Man (1981)

Musicals He Wrote

• 1963 – The King's Breakfast
• 1964 – Robert and Elizabeth
• 1966 – Take A Sapphire
• 1966 – On the Level
• 1970 – Sing A Rude Song
• 1975 – Nickleby And Me

See also

In Spanish: Ron Grainer para niños