Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years

Subject: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Apr 18 - 11:12 AM

Lonnie Donegan - Midnight Special, The Skiffle Years!

70+ amazing early recordings of Loonie Dinnergong with and without the Chris Barber Jazz Band!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 29 Apr 18 - 12:15 PM

There's quite a few I've got the Lonnie Donegan 1955-67 set
Saw him at the Glasgow Empire circa 1958 roughly 5 years after I saw Laurel and Hardy there and around the time I got to ride Jeff Arnold's (Aka Noman Harper) horse Starlight from the Glasgow pavilion to the local stables.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Apr 18 - 12:46 PM

I never saw him live unfortunately, certainly too young to see him play banjo pumping jazz with Chris Barber.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 29 Apr 18 - 12:56 PM

I had chance to go see him but circumstances did not permit..
That was his last ever tour...

Same happened with Joe Strummer.. and I even had a free ticket waiting for me on the door that time...

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: Jos
Date: 29 Apr 18 - 01:52 PM

He was at Sidmouth a few years back, and was spotted among the crowd listening to a busker who was singing 'My Ole Man's a Dustman'.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 Apr 18 - 07:43 PM

Saw him at Sidmouth too, at the Knowle Arena, which hasn't been used as a venue for well over 10 years now, so guessing it must have been about 15 years ago. Great performance!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 Apr 18 - 07:49 PM

Just checked his biog: died in Nov 2002. Played Cropredy in Aug 2001, so might have been the same year as he did Sidmouth.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: BanjoRay
Date: 29 Apr 18 - 08:25 PM

I was playing banjo in an Old Time jam in the Bedford the day after Lonnie appeared in Sidmouth when Lonnie wandered in and started a conversation with me. He wondered if I knew a good banjo repair man so I told him about a friend who does it. We chatted about the Old Time tunes that he used to play in the skiffle group, like Cumberland Gap and Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O and many more. I asked him where he got them from and he told me he got old records from junk shops in the UK.
I assume they'd been left by US servicemen after the war, either dead or repatriated. A very nice, interesting guy. I was sorry to see his death announced.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 30 Apr 18 - 03:11 AM

And he said in an interview that the one thing now missing from the 1950s was to go out and have fun!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 30 Apr 18 - 03:41 AM

I may have to get this to complete my collection but I suspect there were good reasons why they were not released (poor quality broadcasts, alternative takes etc.)
I last saw him during the Barber Band's 40th anniversary tour where his energy defied his doctor's instructions to play seated and take it easy after his heart operations.
RtS

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: GUEST,MikeOfNorthumbria (sans cookie)
Date: 30 Apr 18 - 08:07 AM

Good to hear that LD is still remembered. I first saw him live in 1957 when he played Wishee Washee in Aladdin at the Chiswick Empire. Unlike most pop stars of the day - who often made token appearances in pantomime as an excuse to run through a medley of their hits - Lonnnie took a full part in the production, revealing his natural talent as a comedian.

A friend from college days (Nigel Tulley)saw the same production on the night that part of the scenery collapsed (nearly braining some of the cast). While the stagehands worked desperately to restore the set, Lonnie stood in front of the stage curtain, playing, singing and joking to keep the audience entertained until the show could go on. What a trouper the man was!

He also made some pretty good records - incidentally inspiring both Martin Carthy and John Lennon to take up the guitar. What's not to like?

Wassail!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan - The Skiffle Years
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 02 May 18 - 04:32 PM

Quite a few skiffle groups arose at that time but LD was way above them all. He still sounds electrifying.