Plummer, Stanley (1927-11th November 2000)

Stanley Plummer began playing the violin at age four. Two years later, he gave his first public recital. It was a loud hint of things to come.

Fast-forward to his twenties: Plummer is performing internationally, winning contest after the contest: the Associated Concerts Bureau contest in Carnegie Hall, the National Federation of Music Clubs Auditions, the Sir Arnold Bax Medal in England, and the UCLA Young Artists’ Competition.

In March 1954, he became the co-concertmaster of the 7^th Army Symphony, and in February 1955, embarked on a NATO tour of Europe, as one of their solo violinists. He also served in this capacity with the Kitimat Concert Association from 1958 to 1959.

Having made a name for himself, he rapidly became in demand as a session violinist, working with an eclectic mix of artists and groups too long to mention, but including Cannonball Adderley, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Eric Carmen, The Carpenters, Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Darin, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Everly Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Hall & Oates, Julio Iglesias, Michael Jackson, Earl Klugh, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Julie London, Madonna, Barry Manilow, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Sergio Mendes, Jeffrey Osborne, Ray Parker, Jr., Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross, Boz Scaggs, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Toto, Dionne Warwick, and Denice Williams. His film credits include The Amityville Horror (1979), Brubaker, The Enforcer, Nunzio, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, and Stripes.

In 1970, he took part in the famed Naumburg Orchestral Concert in Central Park in New York.

He has appeared on a number of classical recordings, most notably in collaboration with James Galway and the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, performing the works of Henri Lazarof, and his performance of the twelve violin sonatas of Arcangelo Corelli on the Everest label. He was renowned for playing a violin designed by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, a pupil of Stradivari, in 1745. He inherited it from his teacher, Vera Barstow, and subsequently became a violin professor, himself, at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Stanley Plummer died on 11 November 2000, when he was 73 years old. a victim of Parkinson’s Disease. He left behind a legacy of over 1,500 recordings.

Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams recordings
Emotion (Barry Gibb/Robin Gibb)
S CBS 6164B (UK 45)

Lalo Schifrin recordings
Love Rhapsody from “The Concorde – Airport ’79” (Lalo Schifrin)
Theme from “The Concorde – Airport ’79” (Lalo Schifrin)

Sources:

Plummer, Stanley (1927-11th November 2000)

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