Ronnie Hazelehurst dies
Composer of comedy's most famous theme tunes
Ronnie Hazlehurst, who wrote the theme tunes for some of the most enduring comedy shows of the Seventies and Eightie,s has died aged 79.His work includes the themes for Are You Being Served?, The Fall And Rise of Reginald Perrin, Last of the Summer Wine, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Sorry!, To the Manor Born, The Two Ronnies and Yes Minister
He died in hospital in Guernsey, where he lived, after suffering a stroke last week.
Hazlehurst said he always tried to make the music fit the title of the programme, for example using a piccolo to spell out the title to Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em in Morse code. ‘I wouldn't prostitute a tune, to bend it every which way to fit the title,’ he said, ‘but if I can make it so, I do.’
The BBC's head of comedy, Jon Plowman, said: ‘He was the composer of many of the best-loved signature tunes of the last 40 years of television - and some of his work is still heard today He was associated with some of the best-loved shows of our lives.’
Published: 2 Oct 2007
