Stan Roderick (1919 -1994) was a top British trumpet player whose career took in several of the top names on the British dance band circuit. He was Mr Adaptable, however, and also blew his horn with all types of other orchestras and stars such as Cyril Stapleton, the BBC Radio Show Band, Vera Lynn, Robert Farnon, Jack Parnell, Geoff Love, Johnny Gregory, 101 Strings, George Chisholm, the Black & White Minstrels (for whom he was orchestra leader), Eric Jupp and the London Palladium Orchestra. And then there was Dizzie Gillespie, Henry Mancini, Louis Bellson, Sammy Davis, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald...all the top US stars were accompanied by Stan when they came a-visiting in Europe.

Stan was never a regular member of the Mantovani Orchestra, but he stood in on occasions for BBC TV shows and he recorded with Monty on his sessions of 8 and 9 August 1970 when the "From Mantovani With Love" album was taped at Decca. On that occasion Stan's worth was fully recognised - he was one  of the highest paid musicians on the sessions, just slightly behind leader David McCallum, percussionist Charlie Botterill and guitarists Ivor Mairants and "Ike" Isaacs. Stan was always held in high esteem by his fellow musicians; the much revered Don Lusher of the Ted Heath Orchestra described him as a born leader who could lick any brass section into shape.

Stan was brought up at 251 Duke Street, Barrow-in-Furness, in the North West of England. He was part of a family of musicians; elder brother Fred played cornet and trumpet in top Army brass bands and spent a long period as a soloist at the Sandhurst Army College while another elder brother Joss was a euphonium and tuba player for 24 years with the RAF Central Band and other orchestras.

Editor's note: Stan Roderick played with Norrie Paramor and the Big Ben Banjo Band. Interestingly, the accordionist with Paramor was Reg Hogarth who once played with Mantovani And His Orchestra.

It was Joss who introduced Stan to brass band music at the age of 10; he took up cornet then changed to trumpet, playing as a 14 year old in the dance halls in Barrow. On becoming a professional at 16, he quit Barrow to play in a dance band in the northern Scottish town of Aberdeen. On moving to London in the mid 1930s he sat in with several top pre-war dance bands including those of Henry Hall and Bram Martin. He also recorded with Jack Harris, Ambrose, Jack Hylton, Geraldo, Billy Ternent and Harry Roy, and was a member of the early Ted Heath Band.

In 1939 Stan Roderick was called up on active service and he  served with the Black Watch regiment at Dunkirk. He suffered severe shell shock and was invalided out of the Army, but on recovering became one of the busiest musicians in London. If there was any brass backing to be had, then Stan was your man. He became a leading trumpet player during the post-war boom and rose to the top of his profession.

Stan died on 26 March 1994 at the age of 74, but is still fondly remembered by his friend Brian Judge of Ulverston who helped to compile this brief portrait. Our thanks also go to Tommy Benson, Bob Wilson (Stan's nephew), Denis Edwards and Alan Dixon.

Colin MacKenzie