Eric Rogers (born Eric Gaukroger,[1] 25 September 1921 – 8 April 1981) was a British composer, conductor and arranger, best known for composing the scores for numerous Carry On films.
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Rogers moved with his parents from Halifax, England to Morriston, Wales when he was three.[1] Rogers was interested in music from an early age, and during his attendance at church as a child, he was taught to play the church organ. His musical apprenticeship was generally untutored and he found himself playing the piano during the Second World War for free beer.
After the Second World War, he set up his own orchestra, playing in the Orchid Room at London's Trocadero.[1] He orchestrated the original stage production of Oliver!, first performed at the New Theatre, London on 30 June 1960.[2]
As his reputation grew, he was offered many conducting jobs for films. Most notably, he conducted several Carry On films and was the musical director for the classic comedy film Don't Lose Your Head in 1966. He also conducted the music for the first James Bond film Dr. No under the name Eric Rodgers.
He would later go on to compose many film scores himself, most notably Carry On Cabby in 1963, Carry On Matron in 1972 and a hoard of other Carry On films. His final Carry On score was for Carry On Emmanuelle in 1978.
He emigrated to America in 1975, after working on and off between England and America since about 1970, and became much in demand for composing for film and TV series. By this point he had struck up an alliance with DePatie and Freleng productions, who were at the time making a number of successful animated series for children, such as Return to the Planet of the Apes and What's New Mr. Magoo?. He would work for the company for four years, conducting scores for What's New Mr. Magoo? and Pink Panther in a Pink Christmas, and providing scores for Return to the Planet of the Apes and the cult animated series Spider-Woman (TV series), for which he composed and conducted the theme and all the incidental music. He also conducted Dean Elliott's score for The New Fantastic Four animated series in 1978.
He would later conduct the music for Dennis the Menace in Mayday for Mother in 1981.
Rogers was married to a "Bluebell Girl" from Swansea, with whom he had two sons. On the day of the wedding, the bride's father was indisposed, and the bride was given away by Max Bygraves.[1]
Eric's brother, Alan,[3] has a lyric credit on the 1965 film, Carry on Cowboy.[4]
He died on the 8th of April, 1981 in Chalfont St. Peter in Buckinghamshire, aged 59.[3] His death was registered under the name Eric Gauk-Roger.[3]