John Russell nació el 24 de mayo de 1917 en Londres, Inglaterra. Estuvo casado con Nicole Milinaire, Hon. Lydia Yarde-Buller y Clare Hollway. Murió el 25 de octubre de 2002 en Santa Fe, Nuevo México, EE.UU..
The first peer of the realm to espouse show business in order to raise
money to keep up his stately home. It was said that there was little he
would not do in the interests of promoting Woburn.