Born in London, England, of Irish and English descent, Crimmins turned professional by joining the Mick Mulligan band in 1952.
With a career spanning 50 years, Crimmins has played and collaborated with many notable musicians, including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Archie Semple, Alex Welsh, Freddy Randall,[3] Harry Gold and Lennie Hastings.
Collaborating with Alex Welsh in 1954, the pair started their own band,[4] and recorded with American guest stars such as the clarinettist Pee Wee Russell and Wild Bill Davison.
[4] In the mid-1980s, Crimmins was approached by Bob Wilber,[4] to join his Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington orchestras,[6] interpreting the original Lawrence Brown, Tricky Sam Nanton and Juan Tizol trombone solos, performing at the Nice and North Sea Jazz Festivals.
Roy Crimmins died aged 85, on 27 August 2014, in London, England, and is buried on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee.