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DONEGAN, Lonnie

(b Anthony Donegan, 29 April '31, Glasgow; d 3 November 2002, Peterborough, England) Singer, guitarist. He changed his name in homage to bluesman Lonnie Johnson; sang and played in the Chris Barber and Ken Colyer trad bands and launched the skiffle movement, playing onstage between sets: the appeal of the cheap Spanish guitar, tea-chest bass, washboard and 'anyone can do it' attitude launched untold thousands on the pop road. (See SKIFFLE.) He plundered the USA's country/folk heritage, using songs by Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly etc and had 31 top 30 UK hits '58-62 not counting re-entries but including an EP and an LP in the singles chart. 'Gambling Man', 'Cumberland Gap', 'My Old Man's A Dustman' were all no. 1. 'Rock Island Line' was no. 8 '56 in both USA and UK; Stan Freberg recorded a send-up in the USA, Jim Dale ('Piccadilly Line') in UK. Other USA hits included 'Lost John' (no. 58 '56), 'Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On The Bedpost Overnight)' (no. 5 '61). A favourite on pioneering UK pop TV shows Oh Boy and 6:5 Special, he was then banished suddenly to the cabaret circuit in Beatles' backwash.

This was an unfair twist of fate; Donegan had inspired John Lennon's skiffle group, the Quarrymen, which soon included Paul McCartney and George Harrison; while Pete Townshend of the Who had started out leading the Detours, a skiffle group with vocalist Roger Daltry. Dave Cousins of the Strawbs said that the three most important elements in UK pop had been Donegan, disc jockey John Peel and the Beatles. The roster of guests on a Donegan comeback LP Puttin' On The Style '77 admitted Donegan's influence: Elton John, Ringo Starr, Brian May (Queen), Gary Brooker (Procol Harum), Rory Gallagher, Albert Lee, Ron Wood. Another album Sundown '78 didn't do as well. He kept working after heart attacks, and new acts (e.g. the Shakin' Pyramids, Terry and Jerry) still turned up influenced by Donegan. He had showed business acumen in buying the copyright to Moody Blues' 'Nights In White Satin' in the '60s.