Reg Owen

Although reference books wildly stab at Reg Owen's year of birth anywhere from 1900 to 1929, and the location as far north as Lancashire, he was in fact born George Owen Smith on 3 February 1921 at the Lower Clapton end of Hackney, east London. His father Albert Edward Smith was a silk salesman, but young "Reg," as he liked to be called, preferred a musical career. He took up the saxophone at fifteen and played in youth bands such as Teddy Joyce's Juveniles and the Royal Kiltie Juniors before forming his own group. After saxophone studies with Benny Glassman, Reg completed his education at the Royal College of Music in London. Following RAF service, in which he played for the Bomber Command Band, he became arranger for the Ted Heath orchestra from 1945, then arranged for other conductors including Cyril Stapleton. When he joined the PRS in 1954 he decided to change his name legally to "Reginald Owen." Regarded as one of England's leading orchestrators, Reg published his book "The Reg Owen Arranging Method" in 1956. His own film scores date from 1957 and were at first confined to B-movies, but gradually he progressed to main features such as Very Important Person (1961). He moved to Brussels in 1961, though he continued to arrange, compose and conduct albums all over Europe, including France, Germany and Italy. Moving finally to Spain, Reg's untimely death at 57 occurred at the Clinica Limonar, Malaga, on 23 May 1978, and was notified to the British Consul in Madrid by his widow Maria Luisa.