Although I was born very late ( for a Skiffler ), on April 7, 1967, I discovered Lonnie´s music in my father´s record collection at my age of four, and ten years later this inspired me to start my studies of Jazz, Folk and Blues roots. After being a professional musician for about 16 years now, I still love Skiffle à la Donegan, and it was a great moment when I came back home on Thursday, February 3, 1999 and found a very well-known voice with a friendly message on my answering machine: "Hallo Lutz! ( LE:he didn´t say `hello´ but the German `Hallo´, and I still have the tape with this first private message ) ... and want to have a little chat with you! My number in Spain is 0034... Bye!"
We spent various hours together chatting about everything on the telephone line in the next few years, and after I heard he´d died I regret not to have more chats with him. Although I know there have been many people with bad feelings regarding Lonnie, too, I have to say from my experiences, he was one of the loviest people I ever met in Music business. We didn´t have the relationship of Star and Admirer, I met just a musician, a musical friend. Well, in our first chat I was a bit nervous, but he repeated various times ( in German ) "Keine Angst" ( = Don´t worry ), although this had a double meaning because on that occasion we discussed also problems in the music business, too. But later it was like being with a familar friend together.
I remember one occasion when I called him very late ( around midnight ) and Sharon was on the phone and told me, Lon would practise with his banjo "but wait two minutes". When the man himself came to the phone he was like a young, enthusiastic boy and told me how much fun he had with rehearsing and playing music and singing. I saw him live on stage when he did his performance with ( a great ) "automatic pilot", but I saw him on two occasions ( one was Royal Albert Hall, Dec.7,1998, the other one was in Hamburg, CCH, Nov.23, 2001 ) when he did a terriffic act, almost unbelievable for a guy of his age.
He will be never forgotten, and I agree totally with you, Roger Rettig & Greg, he and his music touched so many of us like a positive impact and a big inspiration, we have to be grateful forever.
Some close friends of mine, the Twins Bastian & Benny Korn, are big admirers of his music, too, although they are much younger than I am ( they are born 9 July, 1978 ).
I am sure future generations of musicians will find many inspirations in Lonnie´s lifework, too.