Jerry Rasmussen initiated a recent thread about (and entitled) "Influences," and cited LD as his single greatest influence. I was amazed, since Jerry is an American and Lonnie was almost completely unknown over here. I don't believe any of his recordings were released in the US until and except "Chewing Gum," which was not especially influential. If any others were released, they sure didn't make much of a splash.

Jerry responded that he had access to a motherlode of records intended for a jukebox business, including foreign releases, discovered Lonnie amongst the stacks of vinyl, and proceeded to become a fan and influencee (?).

But Jerry has to be the exception that proves the rule -- he sure didn't hear LD on the American airwaves, and very very few Americans, including those who became folksingers, blues artists, rock stars, etc., ever heard him AT ALL.

I have my doubts when I see some of you Brits posting your opinion that American artists could only have been influenced by Donegan. Regardless of how undeniably important he was to almost everything ever after over on y'all's side, he wasn't even a blip on radar screen over here. We only know about him at all because we've looked into the prehistory of the Beatles (to whom he was, of course, an important influence and even precursor.)

I mean, really -- Jack White on mandolin in that movie could only have come on a direct line from Lonnie? Gimme a break!