Composer Ronnie Hazlehurst dies aged 79

Ronnie Hazlehurst, one of Britain's greatest television theme tune composers, has died aged 79. He passed away in a hospital in Guernsey, after he suffered a stroke last week.

Hazlehurst is best remembered for writing the theme tunes to some of the greatest television comedies, including Only Fools and Horses, Yes Minister, Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em, The Two Ronnies, Last of the Summer Wine, To the Manor Born, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and Are You Being Served?

Outside of comedy, Hazlehurst also produced theme tunes for other TV shows, including Blankety Blank, and conducted seven UK Eurovision Song Contest songs. He once conducted the 1977 entry using his umbrella.

Hazlehurst said that he would always try to make the theme tune fit the show. For example, for Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em, he used a piccolo to spell out the name of the show in Morse code. He said, "I wouldn't prostitute a tune, to bend it every which way to fit the title, but if I can make it so, I do."

Head of BBC Comedy, Jon Plowman, said, "He was the composer of many of the best-loved signature tunes of the last 40 years of television - and some of his work is still heard today. He's associated with some of the best-loved shows of our lives."