Lonnie Donegan

Lonnie Donegan
MBE
Donegan in the 1970s
Donegan in the 1970s
Background information
Birth nameAnthony James Donegan
Also known asThe King of Skiffle
Born(1931-04-29)29 April 1931
Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland
Died3 November 2002(2002-11-03) (aged 71)
Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
Years active1949–2002
Labels

Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002) was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the "King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians.[1][2][3] Born in Scotland and brought up in England, Donegan began his career in the British trad jazz revival but transitioned to skiffle in the mid-1950s, rising to prominence with a hit recording of the American folk song "Rock Island Line" which helped spur the broader UK skiffle movement.

Donegan had 31 UK top 30 hit singles, 24 were successive hits and three were number one. He was the first British male singer with two US top 10 hits.[1] Donegan received an Ivor Novello lifetime achievement award in 1995[4] and in 2000 he was made an MBE. Donegan was a pivotal figure in the British Invasion due to his influence in the US in the late 1950s.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference British Hit Singles & Albums was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Entertainment | 'Skiffle king' Donegan dies". BBC News. 4 November 2002. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  3. ^ Kelly, Jennifer (20 October 2008). "Hats Off: An Interview with Roy Harper". Pop Matters. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Larkin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).