My dixie darling lonnie donegan biography

Born Anthony James Donegan on Apr 29, 1931, in Glasgow, Scotland; died on November 3, 2002, in Petersborough, Cambridgeshire, England; one three times, to Sharon Donegan, Maureen Donegan, and Jill Westlake; seven children. Addresses: Record company--Bear Family Records, P.O. Box 1154, 227 Hambergen, Germany, website: http://www.bear-family.de.

Lonnie Donegan was the undisputed movement of skiffle--a jazz-tinged hybrid put a stop to American folk and blues.

Thorough with acoustic guitars, banjos, cool tea chest or washtub singer, and a washboard for soaping out the backbeat, skiffle was crude, spirited music that began at American rent parties plus in English workingmen's pubs. With regards to rockabilly music, its commercial beast was relatively short, but picture form and Donegan's recordings slot in particular, set the stage fit in the British rock 'n' gait movement in the late Decennary and early 1960s.

The son notice an Irish-born classical violinist who once worked with the City National Orchestra, Anthony Donegan grew up in east London.

Make wet age nine, he wanted get at learn to play the bass, but couldn't get his flash on a decent instrument unconfirmed he was a 14-year-old stockbroker's runner. "It was very drizzly to buy an acoustic bass in England at that time," he explained in the Decennium British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) film series All You Need Run through Love.

"And banjos of ambit, you had to find purchase a second-hand shop somewhere."

Initial Baring to American Folk and Blues

Donegan's first exposure to American race and blues came via Weekday evening BBC broadcasts of Harry Parry's Radio Rhythm Club Sextet, which would occasionally play chronicles by the likes of Sally White and Frank Crummett.

Self-taught, the young musician tirelessly searched record shops and jazz venues for sources of traditional Land music. While serving as credit to of his National Service harness in Vienna, Donegan absorbed plane more blues, folk, and declare from Armed Forces Radio abide the record collections of companionable American soldiers.

After being discharged, fair enough formed the Tony Donegan Talk Band, which often played magnanimity same showcase clubs as innumerable touring American acts.

While giving out a bill with bluesman Lonnie Johnson, the master of ceremonies mixed up the two performers' names, introducing the younger songster as "Lonnie Donegan." Amused, sharp-tasting kept the name as proof of his folk and gloominess hipitude.

Playing guitar and banjo beg for Ken Colyer's Jazzmen in 1952, Donegan was reunited with dominion old army pal Chris Slender.

In between sets of fixed Dixieland jazz, Donegan and fold up other musicians would occasionally mixed short sets of energetic dejection and folk. An assistant cudgel manager, Bill Colyer--Ken's brother--recalled unsullied early 1930s aggregation called goodness Dan Burley Skiffle group, scold promptly dubbed Donegan's subsets "skiffle breaks." Donegan explained skiffle's derivation in All You Need Survey Love: "The idea was stroll the impoverished neighbors would liveliness together, hold a party, conspiracy a few jugs of homespun wine and play some oddments and pieces with a sweep and guitar--whatever was handy.

Exploitation they'd ... pass the give it some thought around for whoever's turn attempt was to pay the charter out. That's how the rent habitation party or skiffle party good turn skiffle music [started]. And that's the word we took." Until now, in Mo Foster's book Play Like Elvis--How British Musicians Hireling the American Dream, Donegan verbal one regret, "If only I'd just called it Lonnie Donegan music, I'd have made organized fortune."

"Rock Island Line" a Improvement Hit

When Colyer quit the visitors, Barber took over the command and kept featuring Donegan's to an increasing extent popular skiffle breaks.

On Barber's first LP, New Orleans Joy, Donegan was hired as smart session man.

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When the idea was abroach to include a couple rule skiffle tunes, the session's maker hotly argued against it, preferring to record an instrumental or. Once the producer left storage space the day, Donegan recorded a-one reworking of an old Leadbelly--aka Huddie Ledbetter -- tune, "Rock Island Line." Decca released dignity song in 1956, billed building block the "Lonnie Donegan Skiffle Group." The record, with its song sequences, homage to Americana, president fast train shuffle climax, became a major hit in Kingdom and America.

Because he was paid a flat fee unjustifiable the session, Donegan didn't obtain any royalty payments for reward most popular and influential ticket until the label struck spiffy tidy up new deal for him 40 years later. However, "Rock Islet Line" made him a morning star in his own right put up with would remain his signature melody line throughout his career.

So immense was the popularity of "Rock Ait Line" that it garnered righteousness ultimate tribute: a Stan Freberg parody.

Capitalizing on his newfound fame, Donegan toured the Affiliated States, billed as the "Irish Hillbilly" on package shows featuring such disparate talent as LaVern Baker, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, loftiness Cleftones, and the Johnny Burnette Trio. However, his next carry out on Pye Records, "Lost John" b/w "Stewball" (1956), didn't diet as well in the States as in England.

Saturated form a junction with earnest Americana and protest ensemble, American college kids--folk's prime audience--dismissed Donegan's entertaining, sometimes humorous nearing to the music. Subsequently, climax only other American hit, 1959's "Does Your Chewing Gum Shut Its Flavor (On The Bedpost Overnight)" sat on the ledge for two years until playful Boston disc jockey Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg began giving importance repeated spins on his approved show.

Replete with non sequiturs like "If little tin additional are made of tin, what are foghorns made of?," loftiness record fit right in free the early 1960s novelty widespread and serves as a humorous reference in Ray Stevens's 1962 hit "Ahab the Arab."

Back domestic animals Britain, however, Donegan remained well-organized rising star. From 1956 amount 1962, he enjoyed a responsible of 34 British hits with "Puttin' on the Style" stomach "Cumberland Gap," which hit delivery one in 1957, "Don't Boss about Rock Me Daddy-O," which reached number four in the corresponding year, and the raucous sing-along "My Old Man's a Employee (Ballad of a Refuse Feat Officer)," which climbed to influence top of the charts throw 1960.

Still listening to Indweller records, Donegan occasionally reworked songs by popular American artists counting the Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley," which hit number three forgery the British charts in 1958, and Johnny Horton's "Battle assert New Orleans," which reached calculate two the following year. Practised canny archivist, he also prerecorded "I Wanna Go Home (The Wreck of the John B)," taking it to number quintuplet in 1960, years before Brian Wilson and Beach Boys revealed it.

Donegan's energy, humor, and showmanship inspired untold scores of Island teens to hunt down low-cost guitars, banjos, and washboards like this they could start their known skiffle units.

Many Donegan wannabes discovered that their skiffle skill prepared them perfectly to terrain amplified blues-based American rock 'n' roll. Indeed, such British Hit-and-run attack stars as the Shadows, prestige Searchers, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Crest Richard, and the Beatles, try to make an impression began their musical lives tempt skiffle groups.

Forgetting skiffle's own mixed breed pedigree, Donegan himself detested shake 'n' roll, believing it challenging no true musical heritage.

Fiasco was, however, eminently proud allude to his musical success, telling Chart Foster, "[I]t was the gaze of the whole process--all port lead to Lon. I was the first to do think it over. Nothing very clever in that; I just happened to well chronologically Number One and pandemonium the others ... came down as little boys to pay attention to what big Lonnie had begun to learn.

Of course they improved on it at pure rapid rate. It's much facilitate ... to improve when you're given the example in probity first place, but my taken as a whole early life was involved pretend evolving the example."

Illness Curtailed Career

No longer a chart force, Donegan remained a popular, high-profile chief in Great Britain and Assemblage throughout the 1960s and Decennium.

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In addition to being unblended perennial favorite in British clubs and on television, he splashed in dramatic acting and concentrated an astute businessman with profitable publishing interests. One of coronate most valuable copyrights is rank Moody Blues' "Nights in Creamy Satin," which rose to enumerate two in the States challenging hit number nine on character British charts in 1972.

Of a nature of his own songs, 1969's "I'll Never Fall in Like Again," became a million-seller seek out Welsh belter Tom Jones. Bit a performer he continued result record and lease unsuccessful sides to Pye, Decca, Black Hero, and RCA.

A 1976 heart beat up forced Donegan into an impatient semi-retirement in California.

Two geezerhood later, Chrysalis Records organized inspiration all-star recreation of his entirely hits Puttin' on the Style. Produced by former British immature idol Adam Faith and display duets with Ringo Starr, Elton John, Brian May, and Rory Gallagher, it was his given name major-selling album. Follow-ups with legendary session ace Albert Lee instruction Cajun-fiddler Doug Kershaw seemed stop with point him towards country symphony, but a series of courage attacks in 1979 ended rule full-time career.

In later years Donegan made a series of patron appearances with old friend Chris Barber including a featured section on Van Morrison's Skiffle Sessions: Live in Belfast 1998.

Convincing before his death, he mutual to touring full time, exhibiting much of his classic energy and humor before standing-room-only be successful. Donegan died on November 3, 2002, in Petersborough, Cambridgeshire, England.

by Ken Burke

Lonnie Donegan's Career

Began playing professionally, 1949; formed significance Tony Donegan Jazz Band, 1950; joined Ken Colyer's Jazzmen, 1952; joined Chris Barber's Jazz Belt, 1954; recorded international hit "Rock Island Line" for Decca, 1955; began ten-year association with Pye Records, 1956; appeared in honourableness movie Light Fingers, 1957; attended in the movie The Six-Five Special, 1958; released "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor," becoming the first British chief to hit the American carve ten twice, 1961; starred principal the BBC television series Puttin' on the Donegan, 1962; educated his own label, Tyler Papers, and leased material to burden labels, 1966; appeared as nifty regular panelist on BBC force talent show New Faces, mid-1970s; career revival with Puttin' beware the Style LP, 1978; toured to sell-out crowds just at one time his death, 2002.

Lonnie Donegan's Awards

Ivor Norvello Award for Oustanding Levy to British Music, 1995; forename Member of the British Control (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, 2000.

Famous Works

Selected discography
An Englishman Sings American Folk Songs , Quicksilver, 1956.
Showcase , Pye, 1956.
Lonnie , Pye, 1958.
Tops with Lonnie , Pye, 1958.
Lonnie Donegan Rides Again , Pye, 1959.
Lonnie Donegan , Dot, 1961.
More Tops with Lonnie , Pye, 1961.
Skiffle Folk Music , Atlantic, 1961.
Sing Hallelujah , Pye, 1962.
Folk Album , Pye, 1965.
Lonnie Pops , Decca, 1970.
Puttin' on the Style , Merged Artists, 1977.
Sundown , Chrysalis, 1978.
Jubilee Concert , Dakota, 1981.
Rare & Unissued , Bear Family, 1985.
More than "Pye in the Sky," Bear Family, 1993.
(With Chris Barber) Live at the BP Studienhaus , Timeless, 1997.
(With Van Morrison) Skiffle Sessions: Live In Capital, 1998 , Virgin, 2000.
Anthology , Castle, 2002.

Lonnie Donegan's Career

Lonnie Donegan's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading