Derek Watkins

By: Richard Anthony Baker
A trumpeter who could move effortlessly between classical music, pop and jazz, Derek Watkins enjoyed one achievement in particular – he was heard on all of the 23 James Bond soundtracks from Dr No (1962) to Skyfall 50 years later.

John Barry, who composed many of those soundtracks, went on record to say that he always felt good on walking into a studio to find that Watkins was leading the brass section: “He never fails to deliver the goods.”

Watkins came from a musical family. His great-grandfather was a brass player with the Salvation Army, his grandfather taught brass at Reading University, and his father conducted a brass band.

Determined that the musical lineage should continue, Watkins’ father taught him to play the cornet at the age of four. He appeared with his father’s dance band until he turned professional at the age of 17.

He became one of the most popular session musicians in Britain, working in the big bands of Ted Heath and John Dankworth. From 1970, he spent four years in Los Angeles and accompanied many recording stars, including Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand. In his classical mode, he played for Kiri te Kanawa, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo.

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