Ross MacManus
Ronald Patrick Ross MacManus (20 October 1927 – 24 November 2011)[1][2][3] was an English musician and trumpet player, who performed with Joe Loss and his orchestra, and the father of singer Elvis Costello.
Born on Conway Street, Birkenhead,[4][5] MacManus attended St. Anselm's College.
MacManus joined Joe Loss in March 1955.[6] He wrote and sang "Patsy Girl", a 1964 single credited to Ross McManus and the Joe Loss Blue Beats. The song was featured on the "Fathers" episode of Bob Dylan's radio series, Theme Time Radio Hour, in 2006.[7]
MacManus was responsible for the music and vocals from the R. White's Lemonade television advertisement theme song, "Secret Lemonade Drinker", on which Costello plays the drums, and sang backing vocals.
"1973 saw the launch of the brand’s most famous advertising campaign, 'The Secret Lemonade Drinker', which remained on screen until 1984. The ad featured a man in striped pyjamas creeping downstairs to raid the fridge for R Whites Lemonade. Ross McManus, the father of singer Elvis Costello, wrote and sang the original song, with his teenage son providing backing vocals. The ad won a silver award at the 1974 International Advertising Festival".[8]
In 1970 he recorded a version of The Beatles' song "The Long and Winding Road" under the pseudonym of Day Costello.[9]
His 1972 album of cover versions of Elvis Presley songs, Elvis Presley's Golden Hits Sung By Big Ross & The Memphis Sound, was reissued on CD in 2008 as Elvis' Dad Sings Elvis.
In 1975, MacManus wrote and sang a number of songs for the soundtrack to the British sex comedy film Secrets of a Superstud.[10]
He played the trumpet on two of his son Costello's albums: on Out of Our Idiot (1987) the song "A Town Called Big Nothing", credited to the MacManus Gang and originally recorded for the film Straight to Hell, and on Mighty Like a Rose (1991) the song "Invasion Hit Parade".[11]
[edit] Family
MacManus married Lillian Alda Ablett in 1952; the couple later divorced.[12] Their son Declan, known professionally as Elvis Costello, was born in 1954.
His second wife, Sara, died 12 November 2011;[13] their sons, Ronan, Ruairi, Liam and Kieran were formerly in the band Riverway.
[edit] References
- ^ "It is with profound sorrow that we announce ...", elviscostello.com, November 25, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
- ^ Enoch, Nick (26 November 2011). "Elvis Costello's father Ross MacManus, who sang R White's I'm A Secret Lemonade Drinker in classic TV ad, dies aged 84". Daily Mail Onliny (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2066422/Elvis-Costellos-father-Ross-MacManus-sang-R-Whites-Secret-Lemonade-Drinker-classic-TV-ad-dies-aged-84.html. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- ^ "Obituaries: Ross MacManus". The Times. 26 November 2011. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article3238925.ece. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- ^ Thomson, Graeme. Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello. Edinburgh: Cannongate Ltd (2004) ISBN 1841956503
- ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=XfSM6s5JgAdaTT1k%2F4eTUg&scan=1. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 12. CN 5585.
- ^ http://www.notdarkyet.org/tt-fathers.html
- ^ Britvic - R Whites
- ^ Leigh, Spencer, "Ross MacManus - Elvis' Dad", BBC Radio Merseyside interview via elvis-costello.net, n.d.
- ^ "Ross MacManus". The Daily Telegraph (London). 27 November 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/8919020/Ross-MacManus.html.
- ^ Allmusic discography credits
- ^ Thomson, Graeme. Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello. Edinburgh: Cannongate Ltd (2004) ISBN 1841956503
- ^ http://www.justgiving.com/saramacmanus/
