Ronald Hazlehurst (13 March 1928 – 1 October 2007) was an English composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director.
During his spare time, he played in a band and soon became a professional musician, earning £4 a week.[1] The band appeared on the BBC Light Programme, but Hazlehurst left when he was refused a pay rise.[1] Moving to Manchester, he became a freelance musician until he was offered a place in another band at a nightclub in London.[1] Ronnie Hazlehurst worked at Granada for about a year in 1955 and (after he left there) worked on a market stall in Watford to make ends meet.[1][2]
He also recorded some LPs and CDs with his orchestra including a 2-CD box set of Laurel and Hardy film music; his orchestra also backed singer Marti Caine on an album that was released on CD.
Hazlehurst moved from Hendon, North London to Guernsey in about 1997.[4] In 1999, he was awarded a Gold Badge from the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.[4]
Music was Hazlehurst's life and passion (as well as his work) and he continued to work right up to his heart bypass operation in October 2006.[4] On 27 September 2007, he suffered a stroke and, without regaining consciousness, died on 1 October at Princess Elizabeth Hospital in St Martin, Guernsey.[5][8] Having been married twice (with two sons from his second marriage) at the time of his death, his partner was Jean Fitzgerald.[4]