13 Facts About Ray Ellington

Henry Pitts Brown, known professionally as Ray Ellington, was an English singer, drummer and bandleader.

Ray Ellington is best known for his appearances on The Goon Show from 1951 to 1960.

The Ray Ellington Quartet had a regular musical segment on the show, and Ellington had a small speaking role in many episodes, often as a parodic African, Native American or Arab chieftain.

Ray Ellington's father died when Brown was four years old.

Ray Ellington was raised as an Orthodox Jew and attended the South London Jewish School, before entering show business at the age of twelve, when he appeared in an acting role on the London stage.

Ray Ellington was called up in May 1940 when he joined the Royal Air Force as a physical training instructor where he served throughout the war.

Ray Ellington played in service bands including RAF Blue Eagles.

The Ray Ellington Quartet was formed in the same year.

Ray Ellington specialised in jazz but experimented with many other genres and his musical style was heavily influenced by the comedic jump blues of Louis Jordan.

Ray Ellington's recording of "The Madison" reached No 36 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1962.

Ray Ellington was married to Anita West, who was to become the second female presenter of Blue Peter when she replaced Leila Williams, but left after four months, citing her split with Ellington as the reason.

Ray's son Lance Ellington is a singer who has recorded several jazz-orientated albums, and is one of the backing singers in the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.

Lance Ray Ellington appeared in tributes to Peter Sellers, in the film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, where he played his father, and took his father's part in the Goon Show "50th Anniversary Cardboard Replica" first broadcast on 12 April 2001, the day after Harry Secombe died.