According to The Guardian, Jack Parnell’s entire family worked in show business in some capacity. His father was a ventriloquist named Fred Russell, who performed under the stage name Russ Carr. Parnell’s mother accompanied his father on stage, where she used her abilities as a pianist to provide his act with music. Fred Russell was responsible for some innovations in the world of ventriloquism, including a method through which a person’s hands could enter the dummy’s sleeve and light a cigarette (via Ventriloquist Central). Additionally, Parnell had a pair of uncles who ran a group of theaters and worked as a manager for comedian Sid Field, respectively.
Parnell took to the drums and hoarded as many jazz albums as he could. Soon, he had the chops to take his first professional gigs at just 15-years old. He then took a series of gigs and even became part of the Radio Rhythm Club Sextet, which was based in London and both recorded and played live for radio broadcasts. After World War II, Parnell joined trombonist Ted Heath’s band and stayed with him until 1951, at which point he left to start his own outfit, the Music Makers. They became one of Britain’s most popular big bands, but there was a bit of a problem — the style of music started to decrease in popularity. Parnell then switched his focus from touring to working as a musical director in television.
