Donegan was born as Anthony James Donegan in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of a professional violinist. His ethnic mix was Scottish/Irish. He moved with his mother to London at an early age, after his parents divorced. Inspired by blues music and New Orleans jazz bands he heard on the radio, he resolved to learn the guitar, and bought his first at the age of fourteen.
The first band he ever played in was the trad jazz band led by Chris Barber, who approached him on a train asking him if he wanted to audition for his group. Barber had heard that Donegan was a good banjo player; in fact, Donegan had never played the banjo at this point, but he bought one and managed to bluff his way through the audition. His stint in this group was interrupted, however, when he was called up for National Service in 1949. He also played in Ken Colyer's group
In 1952, he formed his first own group, the Tony Donegan Jazzband, which found some work around London. On one occasion they opened for the blues musician Lonnie Johnson at the Royal Festival Hall. Donegan was a big fan of Johnson, and took his first name as a tribute to him. The story goes that the host at the concert got the musicians' names confused, calling them "Tony Johnson" and "Lonnie Donegan", and Donegan was happy to keep the name.
With a washboard, a tea-chest bass and a cheap Spanish guitar, Donegan entertained audiences with folk and blues songs by artists such as Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie. This proved so popular that in July 1954 he recorded a fast-tempoed version of Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line", featuring a washboard but not a tea-chest bass, with "John Henry" on the B-side. It was an enormous hit in 1956 (which also later inspired the creation of a full album, An Englishman Sings American Folk Songs, released in America on the Mercury label in the early 1960s) but ironically, because it was a band recording, Donegan made no money from this recording beyond his original session fee. (Nevertheless, Donegan received considerable music publishing royalties from "Rock Island" simply by claiming the British copyright on an unregistered song which was considered to be in the Public Domain. This led to the peculiar situation that any "cover" version of "Rock Island Line" which was released on record in Britain from 1956 showed the song composition credited to Lonnie Donegan.) It was the first debut record to go gold in the UK, and reached the Top Ten in the United States. His next single for Decca, "Diggin' My Potatoes", was recorded at a concert at the Royal Festival Hall on 30 October 1954.[4] Decca dropped Donegan thereafter, but within a month he was at the Abbey Road Studios in London recording for EMI's Columbia label. He had left the Barber band by then, and by the spring of 1955, Donegan signed a recording contract with Pye. His next single "Lost John" reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart.
His success at the time saw Donegan sent to the United States, where he appeared on television on both Perry Como Show and Paul Winchell Show. Returning to the UK, Donegan recorded his debut album, Lonnie Donegan Showcase, in the summer of 1956, which featured songs by Lead Belly and Leroy Carr, plus "I'm a Ramblin' Man" and "Wabash Cannonball". The LP was a hit, securing sales in the hundreds of thousands.[4] The popular skiffle style encouraged amateurs to get started, and one of the many skiffle groups that followed was The Quarrymen formed in March 1957 by John Lennon. Donegan's "Gamblin' Man" / "Puttin' On the Style" single was number one on the UK chart in July 1957, when Lennon first met Paul McCartney.
Donegan went on to make a series of popular records with successes including "Cumberland Gap" and, particularly "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour (On The Bedpost Over Night)", his only hit song in the U.S., released on Dot. He turned to a music hall style with "My Old Man's a Dustman" which was not well received by skiffle fans, or in an attempted but ultimately unsuccessful American release by Atlantic in 1960, but it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Donegan's group had a flexible line-up, but was generally formed by Denny Wright or Les Bennetts (of Les Hobeaux and Chas McDevitt's skiffle groups) playing lead guitar and singing harmony vocals, Micky Ashman or Pete Huggett - later Steve Jones - on upright bass, Nick Nichols - later Pete Appleby and Mark Goodwin - on drums or percussion and Donegan playing acoustic guitar or banjo and singing the lead.
He continued to appear regularly in the UK charts until 1962, before succumbing to the arrival of The Beatles and beat music.
Add 1: In the early fifties after Donegan was demobbed from National Service he joined Chris Barber and Ken Colyer and others called Ken Colyer's Jazzmen which consisted of Ken Colyer (trumpet), Chris Barber (trombone), Monty Sunshine (clarinet), Lonnie Donegan (banjo), Jim Bray (bass) Dickie Bishop (Guitar) and Ron Bowden (drums). This group recorded two excellent blues numbers with Lonnie Donegan as vocal called "In the evening when de sun go down" and "The Midnight Special" After a year, Ken colyer stormed out of the group and Chris Barber took over.
http://www.p.griggsy.btinternet.co.uk/Untitled/Lonnie.html (Memories of Lonnie Donegan by Paul Griggs)
Grand Coulee Dam
Lonnie Donegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That the travellers always tell
Some gardens and some towers,
I guess you know them well
But now the greatest wonder
Is in Uncle Sam's fair land
It's the big Columbia River
And the big Grand Coulee Dam
She heads up the Canadian Rockies
Where the rippling waters glide
Comes a-roaring down the canyon
For to meet that salty tide
Of the big Pacific Ocean
Where the sun sinks in the west
In the big Grand Coulee country
In the land I love the best
In the misty crystal glitter
Of the wild and windward spray
Men have fought the pounding waters
And met a watery grave
Why, she tore their boats to splinters
But she gave men dreams to dream
Of the day the Coulee Dam
Would cross that wild and wasted stream
Now Uncle Sam took up the challenge
In the year of thirty three
For the farmer and the factory
And all of you and me
He said, "Roll along Columbia,
You can roll down to the sea
But river, while you're rambling
You can do some work for me."
In the misty crystal glitter
Of the wild and windward spray
Men have fought the pounding waters
And met a watery grave
Why, she tore their boats to splinters
But she gave men dreams to dream
Of the day the Coulee Dam
Would cross that wild and wasted stream
Now from Washington and Oregon
You can hear the factories hum
Making chrome and making manganese
And white aluminum
Now the roar of the Flying Fortress
For to fight for Uncle Sam
On the howling King Columbia
By the big Grand Coulee Dam
In the misty crystal glitter
Of the wild and windward spray
Men have fought the pounding waters
And met a watery grave
Why, she tore their boats to splinters
But she gave men dreams to dream
Of the day the Coulee Dam
Would cross that wild and wasted stream
Now the world holds seven wonders
That the travellers always tell
Some gardens and some towers,
Why, I guess you know them well
But now the greatest wonder
Is in Uncle Sam's fair land
It's the big Columbia River
And the big Grand Coulee Dam.
The song "Grand Coulee Dam" by Lonnie Donegan is a tribute to the largest dam in the United States. The lyrics vividly describe the beauty and power of the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam that harnesses its energy. The singer begins by acknowledging that there are seven wonders of the world that are widely recognized, but the greatest wonder is in the United States. He refers to the big Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam as the greatest wonder, which is located in Uncle Sam's fair land.
The singer then goes on to describe the journey of the Columbia River, which heads up the Canadian Rockies and comes roaring down the canyon to meet the salty tide of the big Pacific Ocean. In the misty crystal glitter of the wild and windward spray, brave men have fought the pounding waters and met a watery grave. However, the river also gave men dreams to dream, and one of these dreams was the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.
Uncle Sam took up the challenge to build the dam in the year of 1933, for the farmers, factories, and all the people. He commanded the river to "roll along Columbia, you can roll down to the sea. But river, while you're rambling, you can do some work for me." The dam was built to harness the power of the Columbia River and provide electricity to a vast area, which has led to the development of the region and the establishment of factories and industrial plants.
The song is a tribute to the importance of the Grand Coulee Dam, which has transformed the region, providing irrigation for agriculture, power for industries, and water for human consumption. It is a tribute to the human spirit of daring, perseverance, and innovation, which has overcome the challenges of nature and transformed it for the benefit of humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the world holds seven wonders
There are seven universally acknowledged wonders of the world.
That the travellers always tell
Travellers share stories of these wonders.
Some gardens and some towers,
These wonders include beautiful gardens and towering structures.
I guess you know them well
These wonders are well-known and recognized widely.
But now the greatest wonder
In the singer's opinion, there is a greater wonder beyond these seven.
Is in Uncle Sam's fair land
This wonder is located in the United States.
It's the big Columbia River
The wonder is the Columbia River, one of the largest rivers in North America.
And the big Grand Coulee Dam
Specifically, the wonder is the Grand Coulee Dam which spans the Columbia River.
She heads up the Canadian Rockies
The Columbia River originates in the Canadian Rockies.
Where the rippling waters glide
The river flows gently in this region.
Comes a-roaring down the canyon
Further downstream, the river flows through a canyon and becomes more violent.
For to meet that salty tide
Eventually, the river meets the Pacific Ocean.
Of the big Pacific Ocean
The river flows into the Pacific Ocean.
Where the sun sinks in the west
The Pacific Ocean is to the west of the continent, and the sun sets in this direction.
In the big Grand Coulee country
The Grand Coulee Dam is located in a region known as the Grand Coulee.
In the land I love the best
The singer has strong admiration for this place.
In the misty crystal glitter
The river is surrounded by mist and glistening light.
Of the wild and windward spray
The river's violent flow creates a spray that blows in the wind.
Men have fought the pounding waters
People have battled against the strong current of the river.
And met a watery grave
Unfortunately, some people have died while fighting against the river.
Why, she tore their boats to splinters
The river's forceful flow destroyed boats and other vehicles.
But she gave men dreams to dream
Despite the dangers, the river inspired people to dream of taming and controlling it.
Of the day the Coulee Dam
Specifically, people dreamed of creating a dam across the Grand Coulee.
Would cross that wild and wasted stream
The dam would span the river, overcoming its wild and tumultuous nature.
Now Uncle Sam took up the challenge
In the 1930s, the US government decided to take on the task of building the Grand Coulee Dam.
In the year of thirty three
Construction began in 1933.
For the farmer and the factory
The dam was built to provide hydroelectric power for farmers and industrial plants in the region.
And all of you and me
Ultimately, the dam was built to benefit all Americans.
He said, 'Roll along Columbia,
The US government urged the Columbia River to flow, providing energy for the dam.
You can roll down to the sea
Despite being tamed by the dam, the river still flowed towards the Pacific Ocean.
But river, while you're rambling
While the river flowed, it was put to work generating electricity.
You can do some work for me.'
The river was harnessed for hydroelectric power, benefitting American industry and society.
Now from Washington and Oregon
The dam's construction was a joint effort of the neighboring states of Washington and Oregon.
You can hear the factories hum
As a result of the dam's construction, local industries were able to thrive.
Making chrome and making manganese
The dam generated electricity used to produce chrome and manganese, among other materials.
And white aluminum
Aluminum was another product that could be produced thanks to the dam's power generation.
Now the roar of the Flying Fortress
During WWII, bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress were manufactured using materials produced thanks to the dam's electricity.
For to fight for Uncle Sam
These bombers were used in the war efforts of the US government.
On the howling King Columbia
The river is referred to as the howling King of rivers, because of its strength and power.
By the big Grand Coulee Dam
The Grand Coulee Dam was an important source of hydroelectric power and a symbol of American ingenuity.
Contributed by Lucas P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
rob harper
Lonnie was a fan of Woody Guthrie before anyone else had heard of him in the UK. Fantastic song by a fantastic and influential artist. Still my hero after 66+ years
anty66
Likewise
Ignatz Mouse
Of course, the Beatles were HUGE fans of Lonnie. If you look at the way Lonnie is moving starting at 1:58 - the wide-legged stance, the bopping, the way he holds the guitar - I swear I see John Lennon.
Bob Beck
The undisputed king of skiffle
TheAkelei
One of the great wonders: They actually clap at "2", not at "1"!!! Ah, Donnegan just got it, voice, talent, humor, looks.
G
Lonnie always looked like he was enjoying himself. Makes it so much better :)
Elaine Murphy
I love his son, singing with Tom Jones on the voice x❤
Ed Barclay
As with so many of the "live" performances of the 50's and 60's only the video portion was actually live. The original recording was overdubbed so what one got to hear was the released recorded version. Never the less still a wonderful treat to be able to hear Lonnie.
Bryt25
I wonder if it's a typical BBC pre-show recording? Anyone notice the bass level goes up too at one point but sounds like an added dub?
46514651
The misty crystal glitter - love it