Ray Dorset
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Ray Dorset | |
|---|---|
Ashford, Middlesex, England | |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, guitarist |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, harmonica, kazoo, keyboards |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Member of | Mungo Jerry |
| Formerly of | Katmandu |
| Website | Official Mungo Jerry Site |
Raymond Edward Dorset (born 21 March 1946) is a British guitarist, singer, songwriter, and founder of Mungo Jerry.
He composed most of the songs for the band, including the
Early life
Dorset attended Stanwell Road School (which was renamed Abbotsford County Secondary School) and then
He worked as an apprentice hairdresser for nine months after leaving the school without qualifications. After this he studied for a
Music career
In 1968, Dorset formed the group Good Earth, which included Colin Earl on keyboards, Dave Hutchins on bass, and Ray Bowerman on drums. They recorded the album It's Hard Rock And All That on the Saga record label, before Hutchins and Bowerman left. Joe Rush joined on washboard and the group adopted a more acoustic-based skiffle style.
In 1970, with further line-up changes, the group became Mungo Jerry with hits to follow such as "In the Summertime". The song took Dorset only ten minutes to compose on a second-hand Fender Stratocaster while he was taking time off work from his regular job, working in a laboratory for Timex.[2]
Dorset has also maintained a solo career parallel to his
, which was also released as a single.One song recorded by Mungo Jerry, "
Later disputes
In 2012, Dorset sued his former management company Associated Music International (AMI) for over £2 million in
Personal life
A father of six, Dorset lives with his third wife, Britta, in Bournemouth, Dorset. Interviewed in 2014, Dorset said, "Each of my three marriages has produced two children and I also have three grandchildren. I married my present wife, Britta, in 1995. We sold our home in her native Germany and moved completely to Bournemouth, where we’ve been based since 1994 and own two houses and a restaurant. I should be retired, but my brain is like that of an 18-year-old."[2]
Dorset is a Freemason and a member of Chelsea Lodge No. 3098.[7] Dorset can be seen performing "In the Summertime" in the 5-part documentary "Inside the Freemasons," produced for Sky One in 2017.
In 2016, Dorset said that he had suffered from irritable bowel syndrome for over 45 years, partly blaming the "rock 'n' roll lifestyle" that he enjoyed after the success of "In the Summertime".[8]
In June 2021 Dorset said, during an interview with radio and TV presenter Mike Read, that he had recovered from open-heart surgery. He added that he no longer had his trademark sideburns, because they had been difficult to manage in hospital, and that although all his hair was real, he dyed it.[9]
References
- ^ "Mungomania, Mungo Jerry Fan Site :: Ray Dorset Interview Part 1". 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 27 July 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ The Daily Express.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ "Mungo Jerry Star Suing Over Alleged Unpaid Royalties". Contactmusic.com. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ Brewster, James (26 January 2016). "'Nazi' song was not Mungo Jerry built". The Jewish Chronicle.
- ^ "High Court finds lead singer of pop band Mungo Jerry misrepresented ownership of copyright in song - Wiggin LLP". Wiggin.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Chelsea Lodge No 3098". Chelsea-lodge.org.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ Robertson, Peter (23 August 2016). "Ray Dorset: Rock 'n' roll lifestyle is to blame for my IBS misery". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Mike Read Pop Quiz Episode 3 Ray Dorset".
External links
- Official Mungo Jerry Site
- Ray Dorset at IMDb
- Ray Dorset discography at Discogs
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