Ric Parnell

Ric Parnell (14 August 1951 – 1 May 2022) was an English rock drummer and actor. Notable for his work in the band Atomic Rooster, he is probably best known for his role as the ill-fated drummer Mick Shrimpton in the film This Is Spinal Tap.

Career Born in London in 1951, Parnell had a long family history of musical careers. His grandfather Russ Carr was a music hall artist and his father Jack Parnell was a jazz drummer and musical director for Associated Television. He had two brothers, Will and Marc Parnell, who are also drummers. His two sisters decided not to enter the music business.

In 1970, he was a member of the short-lived hard rock band Horse, who recorded one album before breaking up. Shortly after, he briefly joined the progressive rock band Atomic Rooster, leaving after just two months with the band. By the end of 1971 he had been invited to rejoin Atomic Rooster, this time staying long enough to play on the band's last two albums.

Discography Horse - Horse (1970) Atomic Rooster – Made in England (1972) Atomic Rooster - Nice 'n' Greasy (1973) Ibis - Sun Supreme (1974) Stars - Stars (1976) Nova – Wings of Love (1977) Nova - Sun City (1978) Michael Des Barres – I'm Only Human (1980) Toni Basil – Word of Mouth (1982) Spinal Tap – This Is Spinal Tap (1984) Jon Anderson - 3 Ships (1985) Spinal Tap - Break Like the Wind (1992) The Deviants - Barbarian Princes (Live in Japan 1999) (1999) Deniz Tek - Detroit (2013) Donovan's Brain – Shambaholic And Other Love Songs (2014) Donovan's Brain – Heirloom Varieties (2015) Cloud Over Jupiter – Jupiter Rising (2015) The Dukes of 1987 – Retroderelict (2016) Deniz Tek – Mean Old Twister (2016) Jamie Bruhn - Cigarettes and Lies (2017) Telestrion – Blazing In The Sky (2018) Deniz Tek – Lost For Words (2018) PHILIDOR -– Woodpushers (2019)

Filmography This Is Spinal Tap (1984) – as Mick Shrimpton Masters from the Vaults (2003) The Devil's Due at Midnight (2004) Saving For The Day (2018) - as Ricardo