Ronnie Stephenson was one of the most in-demand drummers on the British jazz scene in the 1960s.
12 Facts About Ronnie Stephenson
1.
2.
Ronnie Stephenson went to Birmingham to join the Cliff Deeley Band at the Tower Ballroom, where he played for several months before going on the road.
3.
Ronnie Stephenson was conscripted into the Army and served in The Royal Signals Band.
4.
Ronnie Stephenson toured Germany with Tom Jones in 1969 and then took up the resident drum chair with the Kurt Edelhagen Band after moving to Cologne with his wife Jean, daughter Kim, and son Carl.
5.
Ronnie Stephenson joined the Theater des Westens orchestra in Berlin in 1981, and remained there until his retirement on health grounds in 1995.
6.
Ronnie Stephenson taught at the University of Berlin from 1990 to 1993.
7.
Ronnie Stephenson played on the Bond themes Diamonds Are Forever and You Only Live Twice and on other film scores, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
8.
Ronnie Stephenson set a very high standard of playing wherever he played.
9.
In 1995, Ronnie Stephenson retired from music on medical advice and settled in Alyth, Perthshire, Scotland with his wife Jean to be near his daughter, Kim.
10.
Ronnie Stephenson turned to golf as a restorative, becoming a member of Strathmore Golf Club.
11.
Ronnie Stephenson died in Dundee, Scotland on 8 August 2002, aged 65.
12.
Ronnie Stephenson is survived by his wife, children, Kim and Carl, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.