Pete King (saxophonist)
Peter Stephen King George (* 23. August 1929 in Bow , London , † 21st December 2009 ) was a British jazz musician who, together with Ronnie Scott Jazz Club Ronnie Scott's founded and ran until the 1994th
King learned the clarinet and tenor saxophone as a teenager from Harry Lewis, Vera Lynn's father-in-law . He initially worked in vehicle maintenance for London Transport , but soon became a professional musician. He first played in the dance orchestras of Leslie Hutchinson, Teddy Foster, Ambrose and Oscar Rabin and Jack Parnell , where he took the place of Ronnie Scott in 1952. Together with several musicians from the orchestra of Parnell and Ronnie Scott, he finally formed an ensemble that was committed to modern jazz . In 1957 he became the manager of the Jazz Couriers (where Tubby Hayes and Scott worked together). As a saxophonist, he also recorded with Kathy Stobart and Vic Feldman .
In 1959, Scott and King founded the internationally renowned Ronnie Scott’s jazz club in Soho , which King ran as manager and continued to operate after Scott's death in 1996, before he sold it to Sally Green in 2005.
King died after a long illness.
Lexigraphic entries
- Richard Cook: Jazz Encyclopedia London 2007; ISBN 978-0-141-02646-6
Web links
- Biography and Discography (English)
- Obituary in the Telegraph (english)
personal data | |
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SURNAME | King, Pete |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | King, Peter Stephen George (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English jazz musician and club manager |
DATE OF BIRTH | August 23, 1929 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Bow , London |
DATE OF DEATH | December 21, 2009 |