Lonnie Donegan Seaburn Sunderland sometime in the late 70s?
I remember seeing the late, legendary Lonnie Donegan in concert on one occasion in the late 70s. The gig was in a big marquee somewhere near the seafront it Seaburn, I think, but I can’t be certain. I do remember going along purely out of interest and not being sure what I would make of it; like many of the 50s and 60s acts, Lonnie was seen as pretty uncool around that time, and hadn’t reached the legendary status that he holds today. I was glad I went, as I was totally knocked out by the energy and passion of his performance; he was just great. He sang all the classics that I knew, having played them on old 78s as a kid: Rock Island Line; Cumberland Gap; Puttin’ On the Style; Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?); Battle of New Orleans; and of course: My Old Man’s A Dustman. Lonnie played that banjo like there was no tomorrow and we all joined in and sang along with him. As Jack White said during his acceptance speech at the Brit awards: “Remember, Lonnie Donegan started it for you.” Or as Paul McCartney is quoted as saying: “We all bought guitars to be in a skiffle group. He was the man.” Legend.
Archive for the ‘Lonnie Donegan’ Category
8 Oct
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