ANIMAL IS DEAD; Veteran drumming legend was man behind the Muppet.Byline: TOM NEWTON DUNN THE manic jazz drummer who was the inspiration for The Muppet Show character Animal died yesterday, aged 76. Musician Ronnie Verrell's last job was performing in the band on comedian Frank Skinner's TV show. His trademark was to hunch over Verb 1. hunch over - round one's back by bending forward and drawing the shoulders forward hump, hunch, hunch forward change posture - undergo a change in bodily posture his drum kit A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. and shake his head from side to side with his mouth wide open. Muppet Show producers even recruited him to play behind the puppets for the 1980s TV series. Ronnie became ill last November after a fall and was waiting for an operation on his neck and spine, but complications set in and he died at Kingston Hospital Kingston Hospital is an acute NHS hospital in Kingston upon Thames, South West London. It has an Accident & Emergency Unit, a popular midwife-led Maternity unit, and an STD clinic known as the Wolverton Centre. It is operated by Kingston Hospital NHS Trust. , Surrey. In a sparkling 60-year career, he played with Nat King Cole a legendary king of Britain, who is said to have reigned in the third century. See also: King , Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdink, Dusty Springfield, Peggy Lee and Shirley Bassey. Frank Skinner said: "He was a drumming legend, and a great bloke - everything you want an old muso to be. Still cool and streetwise street·wise adj. Having the shrewd awareness, experience, and resourcefulness needed for survival in a difficult, often dangerous urban environment. at 76." "Everyone knew him and everyone respected him." Ronnie, from Thames Ditton, Surrey, fell in love with drumming at the age of 13 after watching the 1938 Busby Berkley film Hollywood Hotel. tom.newtondunn@mirror.co.uk CAPTION(S): LEGEND: Ronnie was inspiration; CREATION: Muppet star Animal |
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