Reg Owen
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Biography
Reg Owen, born George Owen Smith on February 3, 1921, in Hackney, London, was an English conductor and arranger. He began playing the saxophone at age 15, performing with local groups such as Teddy Joyce's Juveniles and the Royal Kiltie Juniors before founding his own ensemble. Owen studied under Benny Glassman and attended the Royal College of Music. During World War II, he played in the Bomber Command Band of the RAF. Post-war, he arranged for Ted Heath and Cyril Stapleton. In 1954, he legally changed his name to Reginald Owen. His career took a significant turn when he began writing film scores in 1957, including Date with Disaster and There's Always a Thursday. In 1959, "Manhattan Spiritual" reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 20 in the UK Singles Chart. Another track, "Obsession", peaked at number 43 in the UK in October 1960. Owen moved to Brussels in 1961, working as a composer, conductor, and arranger throughout continental Europe. He later relocated to Spain and passed away on May 23, 1978, at Clinica Limonar in Málaga.
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