Ric Parnell

Richard "Ric" J. Parnell (born 13 August 1951, London) is an English rock drummer. Although notable for his work in the band Atomic Rooster, he probably best known for his role as the ill-fated drummer Mick Shrimpton in the film This is Spinal Tap.

Parnell has a long family history of musical ambition. His grandfather Russ Carr was a music hall artist and his father Jack Parnell was a jazz drummer and bandleader. He has 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.

He continued to play for various other bands and artists throughout the 1970s and 1980s including Nova and Italian-based Ibis, as well as providing the drums for the Toni Basil hit "Mickey" among other contributions. At one time, Steve Perry offered him a spot in Journey but Parnell declined as he was preoccupied with his studio band at the time Zoo Drive, a decision he later regretted.

Parnell's big break came in 1984 when he played the role of Mick Shrimpton in the cult classic mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. His character was one of a long line of unfortunate drummers who all perish from freak accidents, his own fate being spontaneous combustion.

"The first question they asked was, 'What do you think about a movie that's going to tear your career apart?' I said, 'You should have made this movie about 10 years ago.' They then asked me what other bands I'd been in, and I said, 'Well, I was in a band called Atomic Rooster.' They looked at each other and said, 'Yep, that's it, you're our man.' "

Recently, Parnell was living in Missoula, Montana where he co-hosted an 8-midnight radio program (which is aptly titled "Spontaneous Combustion") on KDTR Trail 103.3 FM. Parnell is an avid golfer and frequently plays golf when he is not employed playing the drums.

• Atomic Rooster - Made in England (1972), Nice 'n' Greasy (1973)
• Nova - Wings of Love (1977), Sun City (1978)
• Michael Des Barres - I'm Only Human (1980)
• Toni Basil - Word of Mouth (1982)
• Spinal Tap - This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Break Like the Wind (1992)
• Cloud Over Jupiter - "Jupiter Rising" (2015)
• The Dukes of 1987 - "Retroderelict" (2016)

• This Is Spinal Tap (1984) - as Mick Shrimpton
• Masters from the Vaults (2003)
• The Devil's Due at Midnight (2004)