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Topic: R.I.P.: Lonnie Donegan |
Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 4 Nov 2002 9:35 pm |
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Sad news today - the passing, at seventy-one, of the 'father' of British 'pop'.
This name may not mean as much here in the US, but if you grew in 1950's England as I did, Lonnie was probably the reason you took up music. He was certainly cited by Lennon, McCartney and the other Beatles, as their primary influence. His music was a blend of American folk, negro work-songs with a liberal dash of 'bluegrass' - stuff that was unheard of in the UK until Donegan presented it in his unique style.
Later, his material degenerated somewhat, and he added music-hall (Vaudeville) songs to the mix, but he remained a dynamic and exciting performer.
I'm happy that he lived long enough to receive the honour of a 'signature' Martin guitar - the ceremony was only a couple of weeks ago - he always played either a OOO-28 or OOO-21.
I was priviledged to play with him later in his career - I never could get used to being up there playing for my boyhood idol!
Thanks for all the great music, Lonnie!
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Roger Rettig [This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 05 November 2002 at 06:05 AM.] |
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Matt Dawson
From:
Luxembourg, Europe
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Posted 5 Nov 2002 2:32 am
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Hey Roger,
I remember Brian was going to produce a 'tribute' album to Lonnie Donegan which was going to feature McCartney & Van Morrison and other people. Did that ever get made? Were you on it?
This reminds me of a few years ago when I was working as a money broker. One morning I came to work and saw a small news item that Lonnie Donegan had a heart attack. The Japanese banks picked up on the item and a rumour was soon going round the financial markets that 'Lonnie hah heart attack'. The US dollar fell 10 percent before it was established that it was in fact Lonnie Donegan (the skiffle singer) not Ronnie Reagan (the US president) who had had a heart attack!
Im also glad that Lonnie realised all his dreams and was fully appreciated for the huge influence he had on EVERYONE in british music.
Matt |
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Skip Mertz
From:
N.C. (deceased)
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Posted 5 Nov 2002 2:55 am
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Brings back memories of a better world and time Roger. Didn't he do "Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnite"?
Do you remember what tapes you were going to send me? I don't. We had a great jam in Kannapolis (MASGA) I have a Fritz Bros "Roy Buchanan" tele I'm gonna sell. Do you have the video "sessions" of him advertising it?
Thanks Skip |
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Chris Forbes
From:
Beltsville, MD, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2002 3:56 am
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| If I remember correctly, it was Lonnie who was a huge influence on the great Irish guitar player Rory Gallagher. Man, this stinks, I guess it's part of growing older. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 5 Nov 2002 6:04 am
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Hi, Matt!
That album didn't happen - yet! Maybe now there'll be a rush of devotees coming out of the woodwork wanting to express their feelings. There was a Donegan album in the late '70s (produced by Adam Faith) featuring Elton John, Albert Lee, Rory Gallagher, Brian May and many more 'rock luminaries' - it has it's moments, but nothing can top Lonnie's earliest hits, with Nick Nichols on drums, Micky Ashman on bass fiddle, and the incomparable Denny Wright on guitar.
Skip - Yes, that was one of his later efforts (1960, I think), and typical of the descent into the 'novelty song' arena; despite the questionable material (what do I know? It was at #1 for seven weeks!), a great quality that set Lonnie apart was his never-failing ability to 'swing' in the true mainstream (or New Orleans-style) jazz sense, and this came through even on this record.
Chris: It's impossible to over-estimate his effect. Lonnie Donegan pre-dated Elvis Presley in Great Britain ('though he probably coincided with Bill Haley's 'arrival' on the scene) and HE was the reason we ALL wanted guitars! They found a generic name for the style he created - 'skiffle' - and he and his group led the field of imitators by so far that no-one else was close! When you read of the earliest collaberations of Lennon and McCartney, you're reading about the 'Quarrymen Skiffle Group' - they just tried, as we all did, to capture his energy by covering the songs that he'd recorded. There was 'Lost John', 'Bring a Little Water, Sylvy', 'Don't You Rock Me, Daddy-O', 'The Battle Of New Orleans', a blazing version of a previously-gentle folk song called 'Cumberland Gap', 'Gambling Man', Woodie Guthrie's 'Grand Coulee Dam' and so many others. He inspired all of us from that generation - were it not for him, the British Musical 'lansdcape' would be very different today.
In retrospect, and in light of what seems to be required of a successful artiste these days, it's hard to believe that one man - and one who could hardly be said to be possessed of any sexual charisma - dominated the charts with such a disparity of styles, and with such dedication to his passion for American 'roots' music. In the gray, post-war doldrums of a bankrupt Britain, he told tales of chain-gangs, outlaws and train-wrecks - 'Go Down, Old Hannah', 'Dead or Alive', 'The Wreck of the Old '97'' - to this day, Lonnie's track-record (measured in terms of weeks on the British charts) leaves him in fourth place overall (just behind Elvis, Cliff Richard, and maybe Elton - I'm not sure) - not bad for someone who's been absent from those charts for exactly forty years!
Thankfully, the excellent 'Bear Family Records' assembled all his work from '54 to '63 on an eight-CD set a while back; I'll bet there'll be some hasty re-packaging now, though!
Forgive my ramblings; I'm sadder about this than I thought I'd be when the time inevitably came....
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Roger Rettig [This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 05 November 2002 at 10:02 AM.] [This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 05 November 2002 at 11:46 AM.] [This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 13 December 2002 at 10:13 AM.] |
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Bob Mainwaring
From:
Qualicum Beach Vancouver Island B.C. Canada
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Posted 5 Nov 2002 9:24 am
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Roger,
You've really sickened my day as I just logged on after a hassling experience with my computor over these last few days.
Lonnie Donnegan (apparently he took his Grandmothers family name) will always be my hero as he "started" me off in my total musiccal experience.
I still have buddies that whistle to one another certain intros to certain Donnegan songs while out and about as a recognizable means of saying where were were in a certain Pub, Club, or just waiting for a bus years ago much like saying "hi".
My musical "start" was in 1956 when he came out with Rock Island Line which today still gives me a chill knowing that this particular record was my start in all these good things.
I started on "G" Banjo just about the time when Rock Island Line came out; Lonnie was playing with the "Chris Barber" jazz band with Tennor Banjo and took it into his head to use the singer Beryl Bryden to accompany him on washboard.
They took Manchester by storm at the night club "Bodega" when he played there with Chris, but all eyes were on the then young Lonnie when waiting for him to "front" the band.
I had heard that he lived somewhere in B.C. on the mainland but I'd never got to the bottom of exactly his wheareabouts.
To top all this sad stuff off, our lead guitar players wife died suddenly on the same day compounding the sadness.
All the best.
The very sad Bob Mainwaring.
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 5 Nov 2002 10:42 am
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My condolences, Bob...
I enjoyed reading your post! I'm not aware that Lonnie ever lived in B.C. - he spent some years (in the '70s) living in Lake Tahoe, and it was while in the US that his long-term heart problems led to some bouts of major surgery (I had some similar trouble about ten years ago, and will always be touched that Lonnie kept abreast of my progress, lending his encouragement). He did have a home in Spain, as well.
He managed to live pretty well - not by dint, as you might expect, of all his chart success, but because he bought the publishing rights to Justin Hayward's 'Nights in White Satin' before it found international favour! Although he wasn't a prolific song-writer, a song called 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again' that he co-wrote with his then-guitarist, Jimmie Currie for a 'B' side, was covered with great success by Tom Jones....
You are quite correct regarding the Chris Barber connection, though few people realised that he was something of an imposter on Banjo, choosing to tune it like the top four strings of a guitar! It didn't matter - his great right hand made him a formidable rhythm player.
'Rock Island Line' and 'John Henry' ('Trad: arranged by L. Donegan'  ) were recorded for a Chris Barber Jazz Band album; while Lonnie only got 'scale'(about $5.00 at the time) for the session, it ultimately gave him a career. Once Donegan left Chris to form his own band, the quaint instrumentation he'd used for his 'skiffle spot'(washboard, etc.) with Barber was abandoned in favour of Nick, Micky and Denny - three of the best players in the country.
I believe that Donegan WAS his real name, 'though he 'borrowed' his first name from an idol of his, blues artiste Lonnie Johnson; it was Johnson's, and Big Bill Broonzy's, choice of acoustic guitar that prompted Lonnie to track down (not easy in '50's London!) a Martin OOO-28 and use one of these for the rest of his days.
As a foot-note, I'm pleased to say that I was peripherally involved in the production of London Weekend Television's "This Is Your Life"; in their planning, they'd discovered the fact that LD was synonymous with the OOO-28, and actually went to the trouble of locating one for the programme (not bad for a TV company!). It came from a friend of mine who was a vintage guitar dealer in London, and we both found ourselves at the rehearsal to deliver the Martin. They needed to get a 'level' on it, however, and I found myself 'standing in' for Lonnie on the set, and doing my best to perform 'Rock Island Line', WITH Chris Barber on bass and Beryl Bryden on that washboard(!), in the almost-impossible key of 'D'! Silly, I know, but I was pretty pleased to be there!
It's a treasured memory, though, and Lonnie was genuinely surprised when they 'sprang it' on him that night!
Thanks for the responses, guys...
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Roger Rettig |
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Jackie Anderson
From:
Scarborough, ME
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Posted 5 Nov 2002 1:38 pm
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| Roger, as improbable as it may seem, L.D. had about the same impact on me and my pals in NEW England in the 50's -- he was the reason we wanted guitars, before Pete Seeger and the Weavers and the Kingston Trio (and the Everly Brothers and, in my case, late winter night C&W on the radio from WWVA). I also used my father's snare drum and brushes to try to get that skiffle shuffle. Your biographical posts should be picked up by the wire services -- all so beautifully put. R.I.P. |
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Clint Queen
From:
Prescott, Arizona, USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2002 8:42 pm
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| Roger...Thanks for the sad information about Lonnie's passing. I was a huge fan of his from 1960 to 63 when I lived in England. My wife and I never missed his weekly variety shows on TV. From the large response that you received on your posting I was very surprised that so many Americans were aware of his work. I had what was probably his first album but it got lost over the years. After returning to the US I never heard anymore about him, except from that one album...Clint |
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Mike Fereday
From:
Newbury, Berkshire, England
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Posted 6 Nov 2002 10:19 am
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There was a half page obituary in yesterday's Daily Telegraph. According to the information given there he was born Anthony Douglas in Glasgow, Scotland and became seriously interested in music in 1949 with the an army jazz band.
As indicated, the Lonnie name comes from Lonnie Johnson. He was playing support to Johnson at the Royal Festival Hall, London and a confused MC introduced him to the audience as Lonnie Donegan, and the name stuck.
Mike |
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Mike Fereday
From:
Newbury, Berkshire, England
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Posted 6 Nov 2002 10:21 am
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| Oops - I meant Anthony Donegan, not Douglas!!!! |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 19 Nov 2002 4:00 am
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| ! |
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