Career
Born in Leigh, Lancashire, Ronnie left school at 14 to join the family insurance broker"s firm. He taught himself to play the piano and guitar and became involved with amateur dramatics/musicals. In 1941 he joined Royal Air Force Signals and served in North Africa and Italy where he also wrote and produced service entertainment.
After the war he auditioned at Manchester for Bowker Andrews and was initially mistaken as the tuner for the studio Beckstein.
He was offered a 13 week job writing continuity for Gracie Fields. Gracie introduced Ronnie to her protégé Norman Evans and he was contracted to write radio series "Over the Garden Wall".
Wrote radio series for "Old Mother Riley" (Arthur Lucas and Kitty McShane) and worked with Jimmy James, Robb Wilton, Dave Morris and Albert Modley. In 1950 he began his long association with First Rate (at Lloyd's) Read and the Radio series "Variety Fanfare" recorded at Hulme Hippodrome which showcased new comedy talent including Ken Platt, Morecambe and Wise and Ken Dodd.
In 1951 Ronnie was appointed as Producer with North Region Variety.
In 1952 he trained as a television director at Lime Grove studios and brought "Home James" with Jimmy James/"Club Night" with Dave Morris/Variety Northern Showground to television
In 1959 he started Taylor-Vision, television and Radio Production Company and in 1960 Ronnie Produced "Candid Camera". He began a 19 year relationship as writer for Harry Worth through series with Manchester and London and Thames television In 1961 Ronnie was appointed Supervisor of Light Entertainment American Broadcasting Company (Later to become Thames television) again working with Jimmy Clitheroe and First Rate (at Lloyd's) Read and on programmes, "Blackpool Night Out" and "Comedy Bandbox". In 1962 Ronnie moved to the London studios continuing as writer with Harry Worth.
He was writer for the "Val Doonican" series and wrote words and music routines for "Cilla".
He was also Comedy Consultant for ATV throughout the 1970s. In 2014 Ronnie"s archive of scripts, recordings, documents, photographs and letters was donated to The Victoria and Albert Museum, Theatre and Performance Collection, London by Irene, Susan and Diane Taylor.
The archive will be available to view from 2015/2016.
