Lonnie Donegan

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,SloopJohnB
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 03:47 PM

Yes, Guest Donegan 3, LD's music is as exciting now as it was in the 50's when we were young (I think) There was a programme presented by Wally Whyton, now sadly no longer with us, a whyle ago (OK several years, but you know how it is) on the Skiffle Craze. LD really stood out from the mundane stuff that was produced at that time; time hadn't changed it. So I was right all along. Sloop John B

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Nemesis
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 06:41 PM

I saw Lonnie on his 50th Anniversary tour a couple of months ago and it was an exhilarating experience. Fabulous band backing him - he had loads of energy and well, I just felt like standing up and cheering after every number - it was that good!!!! Anybody who sneers at the thought of the man should have seen and/or heard that gig - absolutely brilliant. The CD doesn't do him justice...

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 16 Feb 02 - 11:04 AM

No Lonnie Donegan ,No Beatles?? All roads lead to Lon!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Jeff Howe
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 12:13 PM

I saw Lonnie at 2 of his concerts last year . Absolutely fantastic !! Who'd think he is now 70 !! Managed to meet him too, at last.

What an entertainer.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 30 Mar 02 - 10:11 AM

Lonnie is touring the UK later this year starting in Bexhill on 13/09. Can't wait

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Peter G.
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 10:21 AM

I've been a fan of Lonnie since I was 14 years old and "Rock Island Line" was all the rage. He lived a mile or so away from me in Woodford (actually it was Manor Park but Woodford sounded better!) Me and some mates found out where he lived in St.Margarets Road and went knocking on his door. His wife, Maureen, answered it and Lonnie came downstairs and signed some photos for us. The next day he was off to the States to promote the record. We were in 7th heaven! I now live in America yet still love hearing his music. I flew over in 1999 for the Royal Albert Hall concert and my sister arranged for me to get front row seats and also to go backstage after the show.

I've got the Bear CD set and it's well worth the money, especially the great book with so much detail about the man and his recordings. I've also got the last CDs he made with Van and Chris and love 'em. I had planned to go to England for the latest tour but the September 11th stuff put all that on hold and I never made it. Mel Roberts, Lonnie's biographer(?), keeps in touch and lets me know what's happening. He told me about the Martin Signature guitar and I have all the specs and the prices but at $3000 and $4000+ it's probably a bit out of my range.

Last year I started my own skiffle group, the LonDon Skiffle Band, and played a few local gigs in Portland, Maine up here in New England. It's a great town for music but I've found it hard to get regular gigs as most club owners haven't heard of skiffle and are unwilling to gamble on an "unknown" style of music unless, of course, it's free. But I keep promoting with mail-outs and personal calls and hope this summer might prove to be the "summer of skiffle!" Everyone who heard the band play last year keep asking when we'll play again as they enjoyed it so much so that's an incentive to keep trying. Meanwhile I keep my hand in with a local 50's to 70's rock 'n roll band "The China Plates" (Cockneys will recognise the rhyming slang) and I introduce a few skiffle songs throughout the set. We always finish with "Sloop John B". I like to throw in a couple of Chas 'n Dave songs too (anyone remember them?)like "London Girls" and they are also popular. Chas 'n Dave started in a skiffle group too in a pub in Canning Town, East London.

I'm so glad I found this site and got to read all the comments here. Sorry I took up so much space but you got me on a roll!

Best wishes to all you skifflers.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Old & Grey
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 02:09 PM

I believe Lonnie is touring again this Autumn 2002 anybody know if he gigs anywhere near Brighton saw him last year at Worthing BRILLIANT

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Nemesis
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:04 AM

Sorry, this hasn't cut and pasted quite how I expected:

They should be in columns side by side

http://www.artists2events.co.uk/artists/lonnieevents.html

Cheers

13/09/02 14/09/02 16/09/02 18/09/02 20/09/02 24/09/02 27/09/02 29/09/02 01/10/02 03/10/02 05/10/02 19/10/02 21/10/02 22/10/02 27/10/02 28/10/02 30/10/02 03/11/02 04/11/02 06/11/02 07/11/02 10/11/02 11/11/02 14/11/02 15/11/02 27/11/02 28/11/02

THE DE LA WARR PAVILION THE CITY HALL THE HALL FOR CORNWALL PLAYHOUSE THEATRE THE TOWN HALL THE OPERA HOUSE THE CORN EXCHANGE THE MEDINA THEATRE THE PAVILLION THEATRE REGENT THEATRE THE ASSEMBLY ROOMS THEATRE BRYNHENOG THE ALEXANDRA THEATRE THE GUILDHALL THE MUSIC HALL THE MUSIC HALL THE ROYAL CENTRE THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE VICTORIA HALL THE ALBERT HALLS THE OPERA HOUSE ROYAL COURT THEATRE THE CITY VARIETYS THE WOODVILLE HALLS ASHCROFT THEATRE THE CLIFFS PAVILLION THE SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE

BEXHILL ON SEA SALISBURY TRURO. WESTON SUPER MARE CHELTENHAM JERSEY KINGS LYNNE ISLE OF WIGHT BOURNEMOUTH IPSWICH TUNBRIDGE WELLS BRECON BIRMINGHAM PRESTON (T.B.C.) SHREWSBURY SHREWSBURY NOTTINGHAM YORK STOKE ON TRENT BOLTON NEWCASTLE LIVERPOOL LEEDS GRAVESEND CROYDON WESTCLIFF ON SEA LONDON.

01424 787949 01722 327676 01872 262466 01934 645544 01242 227979 01534 511115 01553746846 01983 527020 01202 456456 01473 433100 01892 530613 01874 611622 0870 607 7544 01772 203456 01743 281281 01743 281281 0115 9895555 01904 678700 01782 213800 01204 334400 0191 2320899 0151 709 4321 0113 2430808 01474 337774 0208 6889291 01702 351135 020 8354 3300

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:25 AM

Didn't LD get into a barney with the Leadbelly Newsletter a while back? I seem to recall reading an interview. Stan Freburg has a great parody of the recording of Rock Island Line which my kids love (never having heard the original) - the producer can't make out what the words are, asks him "Get your "chicken" at the station...?" A trivia quiz - what's on the back of "My Old Man's a Dustman"? (parenthetically, it just occured to me that CD's don't have a "back side"). The answer is "The Golden Vanity" (Child 286). The only version I know where the captain shoots the cabin boy (the shots are on the disc, too!).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Bert
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 04:30 AM

Well, Gor Blimey Peter G me ol' china. F*** my old boots, I was born in Canning Town. Wheren the bloody 'ell are you in the USA? I live in Pennsylvania, but I'm in Colorado for a while now.
Send me a PM y'ol fart.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 10:46 AM

First song I learned all the words to was "Golden Vanity" by LD. I was about seven and didn't know about Folk, Rock, Blues, Skiffle etc, at the time, but now I'm an old folkie and I know why.

Pete J

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:13 PM

Alot of the dates for Lonnie's tour are now taking bookings so get phoning!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,bluearrow
Date: 14 Sep 02 - 06:07 PM

require musical score for putting on the style

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Texas Rog
Date: 04 Nov 02 - 02:54 PM

RIP Lonnie - part of my life when I was young.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Donegan3
Date: 05 Nov 02 - 02:00 PM

Lonnie gone but never forgotten . Thanks for the music and memories. A trully Legendary Performer

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,donegan3
Date: 31 Oct 03 - 02:15 PM

Does anyone know details of the tour by Lonnie's Sons Peter and Anthony?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 01 Nov 03 - 04:31 AM

The tour dates are mentioned HERE but no venues listed. Good review of oneof LD's last concerts on same site.

RtS

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 05:29 AM

(The lyric is - '...get your ticket - not chicken - at the station for the Rock Island Line.')

Lonnie's first Martin guitar was a mahogany-bodied 0-17 model. This guitar is seen in the very earliest photos. Lonnie talked of paying six pounds for this guitar from a stall in Walthamstow. Possible, I suppose, 'though Lonnie was guilty of telling different versions of some events...

After that he always had Martin '000' models. As he went to the States in '56, it's probable that he acquired his next one there. This was a herringbone 000-28 - certainly pre-war. The cover of 'Lonnie Donegan Showcase' has him playing a 000-21 - this guitar can be seen on the cover of 'Lonnie' as well (fitted with a DeArmond sound-hole pick-up). Then he had another 000-28 (non-herringbone). This was a highly visible guitar - it's in the 'Six Five Special' film, and in many publicity shots. It's distinguished by the white binding at the top and bottom of the instrument.

He told me that he gave one of his '000s' to Adam Faith, but it was destroyed when it was in Faith's car during an accident. (?)

For whatever reason, Lonnie got another 000-28 (this was a 1967 model) and this is the guitar he used principally until his death. The last two weeks of his final tour saw him playing his new LD 'signature' model (000-28LD). He always used to say to me - 'Martins should give me a bloody guitar after all this time!' Well, they finally did.

There's no question that Martin's visibilty in the UK was considerably enhanced by Donegan's brand-loyalty. His devotion to them was probably more to do with his hero-worship of the various US blues/folk artists that used a Martin. Big Bill Broonzy always had his 000-28 - I believe this led Donegan to favour this particular model.

Martins weren't imported into the UK until 1960 - but I managed to find an old 000-18 in Lew Davis' shop on Charing Cross Road in 1959. It cost me sixty four Pounds! That was a lot of money then.

Johnny Duncan ('Last Train...') had a Martin D-28 (same general appearance, but a different body-shape to the 000s) and Elvis' first publicity shots showed him with first a D-18, then a D-28. He went to Gibson J200s in '57.

Wally Whyton managed to acquire a 000-28 in the '50s - I think he got that in the States, too.

Is nyone else out there as interested in the guitar side of things as much as I (obviously) am?

I play pedal steel guitar for a living, but I still have a 1927 0-18, a 1947 000-18, and a brand-new Martin Custom Shop '000-28' - I had them make me an exact replica of a 1950 one. I'm afraid that, as proud as Lonnie was of his signature model, I hated it; all that inlay, with 'King of Skiffle', etc, etc. And why sunburst!!!!!?

I'm told that it's exactly as Lonnie asked for it......

Roger Rettig

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 07:27 AM

Well, I had the chances to play along a bit on the signature LD model in August 2003 during a jam on a private barbecue with Twins and Paul Leegan in Essen/Germany, and again in December 2004. It sounded ok. The things you hate, Roger, depend, of course, on individual taste.
Paul told us on various occasions that he received his one ( No.6 ) on the date of Lonnie´s last concert in October 2002 where he met Lon in the hotel as well as backstage later, and he was proud that Lonnie was first person ever played on this No.6 ( before Paul! ).
Paul played it on our recordings in August 2003 and in our Skiffle concerts in December 2004, too, and the guitar did a good job in this contexts. He recorded "Worried Man Blues" on it ( just vocals&guitar ) when we filmed an interview with Paul in a studio near Cologne for a Skiffle documentation on Dec 7, 2004, and it was great. So I can say only positive things about the sound as far as I know this model.

Regarding other guitar models I am definetly to young to say much about it. Of course, I know most of Lonnie´s recording by memory, but the guitar sounds there often depended on the mixing and of course on the style of playing, not only on the choice of model, so I do not want to make a final judgement about it. Others have better abilities and competence to do that.

But I guess Martin guitars have been principally a very good choice for all Skifflers, Blues and Folk Men, so I really like them.

I am not satisfied with the banjo Lonnie used on stage when I saw him live between 1996 and 2001, it sounded very "cheap". Maybe I had too much privileges to have always damned good banjos ( OME, Pietsch etc. ) in my own bands ( and have collaborated with excellent banjoplayers, too, like Peter"Banjo"Meyer, Sean Moyses, Udo Jägers etc. ). I like Lonnie´s banjo sound on most of the elder recordings of fifties, sixties and seventies, but was wondering about the "thin" sound of his banjo in recent years.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 07:49 AM

Again.

So if anybody could or want to say more about Lonnie´s banjos, too, I would be interested in, too.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Roger Rettig
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 09:21 AM

Naturally, Lutz, it's just my personal dislike (the LD model) - what struck me as a youngster when I first saw a Martin was its understated appearance. Martin have alays made more-ornate models for those that want it (the 41s and 45s, for example); Lonnie was known for the '21' and '28' series, so I was surprised that he asked Martins to embellish the LD to such an extent.

Again, this is only my feeling - others will disagree. My friend in England (he founded 'Hank's Guitars' on Denmark Street in the West End) was horrified when he first saw the LD - he 'phoned me to say, "It looks like a Christmas tree!!!!!".....

I'm sorry - I know almost nothing about his banjos. He played a Vega many years ago, and a recent picture showed a Gibson Mastertone. He really only played guitar-chords on banjo, choosing to tune it to the top four strings of a standard guitar tuning. He did have a terrific right-hand technique, though, even if he never learned the banjo's tuning.

RR

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:07 PM

Thanks, Roger. Regarding the banjos this is what I had watched, too. But I am wondering why he never took care to have a better banjo sound or instrument. I have had a very cheap italian tenor banjo since christmas 1982, and it sounds similar like his ones. He should have spent a bit money for a better banjo. I remember that Sean Moyses told me once that Lonnie asked to buy Sean´s banjo when Sean was member of Bob Kerr´s Whoopee Band = anytime between 1990 and 1996, but Sean refused to sell. I will ask Sean again because will see him tonight at JfK´s birthday session&party in Bonn tonight.

But please continue to discuss about the guitar matter! I will pay much attention and interest to it.

I guess you´re have probably heard right that it was his idea to have the guitar like it is.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Lutz Eikelmann
Date: 24 Mar 05 - 01:09 PM

Ooops, my english was much better on other occasion than in my last post, sorry! ;-)

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:08 PM

Well I'm new to this site but have enjoyed all the Donegan threads. Roger- If you are thiking of the 12 string with the "D" shaped soundhole I believe it was made for him by Stan Francis of Liverpool.He also made some for Pete Seeger. It self destructed, as did Pete's. Lonnie also imported a Gretsch in the 1950s- shipped over by boat and was photographed with it sometimes (I have a picture on an album sleeve) On the Sundown Album he is holding his "spare" Martin 000, rather spoilt by the oversize pickguard and, I think, new bridge. The Abbott guitar surfaced for sale in the Melody Maker in the mid seventies. Lonnie originally sold it to Dickie Bishop. The banjo used later was a mongrel- the neck was Clifford Esseex but I don't know what the pot was. Hope this is of interest to somebody, if so I'll try to add a little more

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:14 PM

Yes indeed Captain ... most interesting. I often wondered about Pete Seeger's 12, which never seemed to square with any sort of common sense answer.

keep em coming!

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: eddie1
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 03:02 AM

Thanks for reviving this thread – I found it for the first time and read all the way through at one sitting.
Lots of happy memories!
I first heard "Rock Island Line" on a 78 then "LD Showcase" with "Wabash Cannonball" & "Nobody's Child" and was well and truly hooked. Got myself a double bass (nearly my height and definitely shaped like me) and found myself in great demand with skiffle groups wanting to move on from a teachest.
From Lonnie, I developed an interest in Woodie Guthrie and other American artists then country, bluegrass and old time. From there I moved into British folksong.
I always reckoned a lot of people travelled a similar road to myself but found my ideas being mocked by many of the more academic of the traditional folkies. Even Cyril Tawney, a man I loved, said that crediting Lonnie with any part in the folk revival was like giving Goering credit for the new Coventry cathredal! Later, however, I did let Cyril hear Lonnie singing "Sammy's Bar" and, after he had phoned Rosemary to check out royalties, he admitted it was a great version!
I was chuffed beyond measure when I was approached for an interview by a girl from Milan University for her thesis on British Folk Music. She was put on to me by Hamish Henderson from the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University. Hamish was another Lonnie fan!
Nobody has had Lonnie's influence in popularising folk music – and pop/rock at the same time. Before him, a guitar was just another musical instrument and suddenly, people found that with a few chords they could have a whole repertoire!
A few more memories were brought back by this thread:-
I had an EP (remember them?) with Laggan Love, Kevin Barry, Bewildered and She Moved through The Fair.
A few Donegan records came out from Nixa on kind of vinyl,. unbreakable 78s just before 78s vanished.
Denny Wright, Lonnie's first guitarist after he left Barber, went on to play with "Johnny Duncan and His Bluegrass Boys" who did a lot to popularise Bluegrass in the UK.
On leafing through one of these massive Rock & Roll anthologies, the only person with more space devoted to them than Lonnie, was Elvis!

Thanks again for the thread.

Eddie

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 04:17 AM

To rick fielding (if you're still around after nearly 8 years!): the Peter Sellers Lonnie Donegan spoof (featuring a character called "Lennie Goonegan") was called "Puttin' On The Smile". It's currently available on a budget-priced EMI CD (at least, here in the UK). ("Puttin' On The Style" was of course the title of one of Lonnie Donegan's 1950s hits.)

The track was originally issued on Sellers' 1959 12" vinyl album "Songs For Swingin' Sellers".

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 09:18 AM

Scrumo,
Alas, Rick Fielding died some years ago and is still sadly missed by all his Mudfriends. I sent him a copy of the Peter Sellars musical spoofs before he died.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 09:22 AM

Roger, thanks for that. Sorry to hear about Rick, although I didn't know him. I was merely responding to his original post (I did say it was 8 years ago).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Tom Hamilton frae Saltcoats Scotland
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 08:04 AM

he was born in Scotland and move to England. he came from Glasgow, Bridgeton or Brigton as it is known

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 10:04 AM

I believe Lonnie recorded two different versions of "Talking Guitar Blues", one sung in a sort of American accent, and another "cockney" type version. There is a reference above to a "UK version" of the song which seems to support this. Was this because back in the 1950s, US listeners would have had difficulty understanding the UK lyrics, does anyone know?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 11:19 AM

I think both versions are included on the Bear Family Records set of CD's. His UK version is not very different from the "American" version. Lonnie is an all-time favorite of this Missouri, USA, fan. I play him often on my radio show (as mentioned above under the name Big Jim).

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Scrump
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 11:31 AM

I think I have both versions somewhere. I had the UK version on an LP, and when I got a CD with it on I was surprised to hear it was a different take, before I discovered there were two intentionally different versions.

I don't have the Bear Family set, but I think I have all of Lonnie's stuff from the very first recordings up to at least the early 1960s, in one format or another. Sounds as if the BF set is well worth having though.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 01:32 PM

I think Lonnie recorded the two versions just because he felt like it Scrump. I don't think the USA market was a consideration as the track was never intented as more than an album filler or b-side. In fact both versions were issued by Pye at that time in that manner, both for the UK market. The backing was just one acoustic guitar. The number was originally a hit in States for Ernest Tubb some years earlier though many other versions exist- eg it was rewitten with a rock & roll slant as "All American Boy" which was again a hit in the USA in the fifties and which Marty Wilde used to perform here.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 03:06 AM

as I remember, it was the b-side of San Miguel. It was a great anglicisation of an American song. Did Lonnie convert himself, Captain?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 11:15 AM

You're right, the cockney version was the b-side of San Miguel. and yes, Lonnie made it up. The American version was on the Lonnie Rides Again album.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Keith Sellers
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:24 AM

Hi,i always thought the D hole twelve string was made by John Bailey,who at that time made for, and repaired for the folky lot,including Pete Seeger,Jimmie Magreggor,John Reinbourne,etc,John Bailey certainly made the same model,it always looked a a bit homemade,but it had a fantastic sound,i aquired Lonnies Abbott when i owned Hanks Guiar Shop,i offered it back to Lonnie,but he did not want to pay i beleive the £750 price.that Abbott guitar was made in 1928 at a cost of £15gns.i still own one today,and have the original catalogue....Lonnie also used in the early days a Martin 00021,this guitar he told me he gave to Adam Faith,who smashed it up in his car accident,i think he used the 00021 up to around 1962/3 and in the early fifties i saw him with the all mahogany Martin 0017....

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 04:59 AM

does anybody remember the Late Doug Porter of Derby - could be wrong, but I seem to think g he had one of those 12 strings with the D hole. doug was a very tasty accompanist - he used to do a stunning version of Bryan Bower's Berkley Woman.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 11:13 AM

Hi Keith/Hank, I've really enjoyed the postings and reminiscences of you (and all the others) on this and the other current LD thread- you certainly know your stuff and obviously love the music. I may be wrong about the 12-string, but I know for sure Stan Francis made one for Pete Seeger's, and that that one imploded (so did Lonnie's), so I shall not be moved (yet). Pete S. had a copy made by Bruce Taylor(USA) when his Stan Francis one gave up the ghost. Very interesting indeed about the Abbotts, there can't have been that many made, so there'll be hardly any left, wonder where Lonnie's is now! I too have played one of Lonnie's guitars (00028)- (I didn't attempt Rock Island Line though!) The action was highish and the strings he used were quite heavy, it was not easy to play- his fingers must have been sore after a long concert given his hard strumming style. Many's the time I've pestered staff in Hank's, maybe we've met! According to Roger R earlier the mahogany Martin was an "0" size by the way.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 11:23 AM

Just in passing: The Bear Family set has several songs on it with more than one version of each.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,DocJ
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 12:14 PM

eddie1 - I followed exactly the same route as you: Lonnie Donegan then Woody, Lead Belly, Cisco etc then Nic Jones and the British singers. I think it's a fairly common path and a fairly logical one if you think about it.
Captain Colin - I remember Stan Francis of Liverpool and his making a 12-stringer for Pete Seeger. He used to play the ukelele and sing with the Spinners at Sampson & Barlow's in the city, if my memory serves me right.
DocJ

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 12:29 PM

Doc J- that's very interesting- do you know if he's still with us?

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Doc J
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 12:39 PM

Sorry, Cap'n, I lost contact with him in about 1960 when I, at a guess, he was about 30 or so years old. He mentioned that he made the guitar for Pete Seeger, whom I suppose he had met when he visited Liverpool, because PS had told him his 12-stringers were not all that good.
I believe Lead Belly played a Stella. Does anyone know what Blind Willie McTell (the master of the instrument) played? I remember Rory McEwan playing on on 'Tonight'; any ideas what that was, anybody.
DocJ

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 01:44 PM

Pity, but thanks. Maybe someone else will have some information on Stan and his guitars. As far as Blind Willie McTell is concerned, I remember finding a web site that listed all the guitars the old bluesmen used. I'll look for it again, but once again maybe somebody else will know the link. I can't specifically remember what guitar Blind Willie played, but the information was on that website- quite likely a Stella.As far as the great Rory is concerned, I seem to remember it was a Martin D28 but am by no means confident about that. I remember reading that Rory joined the choir invisible some years ago- does anyone have any more information? And what about his brother Alex, what became of him? I know they were both connected to the McEwan brewery and singing was a secondary pursuit.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 01:51 PM

Sorry, forgot to put my soubriquet on last post. I've had a look around and, yes, Willie played a Stella.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Alec
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 02:23 PM

I think the site Captain Colin is talking about may be www.earlyblues.com

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 02:40 PM

That's the one Alec, thanks- interesting site, lists all the old bluesmen's guitars, and tells us that Willie McTell played Stella Regal and Harmony guitars at various times- though I believe the one he's most often associated with is the Stella.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: Alec
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 02:49 PM

I've never been enough of an "Anorak" to recognise make & model of a Guitar from hearing a recording, but I sort of admire/envy those who can.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Captain Colin.
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 02:59 PM

I would be very sceptical about anyone who claimed to be able to identify an acoustic guitar make and model from a recording (other than a National)-it's just not possible. An electric guitar- maybe, sometimes.

Subject: RE: Lonnie Donegan
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 03:07 PM

With all this talk about Lonnie I thought that I might buy some of his recordings, but first I decided to hear a few audio clips on Amazon. I'm glad I didn't buy any recordings first! Lonnie's main achieved must be that he opened listeners ears to Leadbelly, Woody etc. Musically, he, himself, had very little to offer.