Q&A Legendary Music Composer and Musician Ray Russell

Raymond ‘Ray’ Russell (born 4 April 1947) is an English session musician who is primarily a guitarist. He is also renowned as a record producer and composer.

In 1973 he was a member of the band Mouse, which released a progressive rock album entitled Lady Killer for the Sovereign record label. His TV compositions have included A Touch of Frost, Bergerac, Plain Jane, A Bit of a Do, Rich Tea and Sympathy, The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries, Dangerfield and Grafters, as well as many other British and American television programmes. He also played in the DVD Simon Phillips Returns with Simon Phillips and Anthony Jackson.

With colleagues Mo Foster and Ralph Salmins, Russell gives musical seminars at UK educational establishments.

In 2008 Russell, drummer Ralph Salmins, and sound engineer Rik Walton created Made Up Music, a music library that distributes music on its web site and by sending portable hard drives to music editors. The company sells music by Russell, Mo Foster, Steve Donnelly, and Simon Eyre.

In March 2020 Russell featured on an episode of the BBC Television programme Antiques Roadshow, in which his fretless six-string electric guitar, made by Bartell and gifted to him by George Harrison, having originally belonged to John Lennon, was valued at £300,000-£400,000.^[2]