Lonnie Donegan was a singer, guitarist and bandleader who became known as “The King of Skiffle”, such was his all-pervading influence as a pioneer of skiffle music in the UK in the latter half of the 1950s. He was always fan and keen student of American country and blues music, and gravitated towards the traditional jazz scene in the post-war years – after his jazz band supported US bluesman Lonnie Johnson in 1952, he changed his name from Tony Donegan to Lonnie Donegan. He played with Chris Barber’s band, where skiffle developed as ‘break-out’ music played by the rhythm section during the intervals in shows. Donegan popularised the skiffle form with his hit “Rock Island Line” and it became a national craze, providing the grounding for dozens of future pop and rock stars. This 78-track 2-CD collection features all his 42 UK chart entries plus just about all his other A & B sides from these years, and tracks from EPs. It includes his UK No. 1s with “Cumberland Gap”, “Puttin’ On The Style”, “Gamblin’ Man” and “My Old Man's A Dustman”, plus other Top 10 classics like “Rock Island Line”, “Tom Dooley”, “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour”, “The Battle Of New Orleans”, “Michael Row The Boat Ashore” and many more. It also includes performances with Chris Barber and his hit with Miki & Griff. He was an innovative performer who had a massive influence on the development of British pop music and this is a substantial and entertaining showcase comprising his most popular recordings.
