Lonnie Donegan
British skiffle singer (1931–2002) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthony James Donegan MBE (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, 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.
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Lonnie Donegan | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Anthony James Donegan |
Also known as | The King of Skiffle |
Born | (1931-04-29)29 April 1931 Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland |
Died | 3 November 2002(2002-11-03) (aged 71) Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, England |
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Years active | 1949–2002 |
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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.