20 Facts About Ron Grainer

Ronald Erle Grainer was an Australian composer who worked for most of his professional career in the United Kingdom.

Ron Grainer is mostly remembered for his television and film score music, especially the theme music for Doctor Who, The Prisoner, Steptoe and Son and Tales of the Unexpected.

Ronald Grainer was born on 11 August 1922 in Atherton, Queensland, Australia, the first child of Margaret Clark, an amateur pianist, and Ronald Albert Grainer, a storekeeper and postmaster.

At the age of 9, as part of the Aloomba school team, Ron Grainer won second prize for solo violin at the inaugural Cairns and District School Eisteddfod.

In early 1933, Ron Grainer's family moved to Cairns where, apart from school work at Edge Hill State and Cairns High, he commenced a serious study of music theory and interpretation.

Ron Grainer's family relocated south to Brisbane in 1937 where Grainer completed his secondary school education at St Joseph's College, Nudgee, matriculating in 1938.

Ron Grainer enrolled at the University of Queensland in 1939 to study civil engineering and music, a course which included harmony, counterpoint, and composition as taught by classical musician Percy Brier, a traditionalist educator who encouraged his more talented students to think for themselves.

Ron Grainer gained his Associate of Trinity College London Diploma on piano.

Ron Grainer had only a few months performing for his fellow airmen, for in July 1944, a 44-gallon drum fell on his leg while he was travelling in a truck; he sustained a severe injury and was admitted to the 3 RAAF Hospital, seriously ill.

Ron Grainer was discharged from the RAAF as permanently medically unfit in September 1945.

Ron Grainer received his teaching and performing diploma for pianoforte in December 1949.

In 1952 Ron Grainer left Australia for London with his wife Margot and 10-year-old stepdaughter Rel.

In 1960 Ron Grainer achieved public recognition with his theme and incidental music for the TV series Maigret.

Ron Grainer worked with the instrumental group The Eagles, who recorded a number of his themes.

In September 1968, tired of London traffic jams and worried about his intensifying eyesight problems, Ron Grainer moved permanently to his former retreat property in southern Portugal.

From 1969 to 1975, Ron Grainer composed themes and soundtracks for an average of around one TV series and one film each year.

Ron Grainer was being offered work again so he set up house in Keymer, West Sussex.

Ron Grainer had one notable incidental music score and two TV signature tunes debut the year of his sudden illness and death from cancer on 21 February 1981.

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

Only three compilations of Ron Grainer's output have been released commercially.