Biography of Lonnie Donegan

In Britain, Lonnie Donegan was the king of skiffle, a joyously amateurish interpretation of American folk, blues, and country songs that pre-dated rock & roll. In 1954, Donegan's version of Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line" was an enormous hit in the U.K. (it also was successful in America) and set off a skiffle craze -- thousands of teenagers formed their own skiffle combos and tried to emulate his spare sound with washboards, broomsticks, and other household items. Donegan remained a star until Britain had their own rock superstars with The Beatles in 1962. Although he stopped having hits, he never stopped performing and he continued to explore different traditional music, from Cajun and Appalachian styles to old time, vaudeville style pub favorites right through the '80s. In the '90s, Donegan is not in perfect health, yet he continues to perform occasionally. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine