Lonnie Donegan

LONNIE DONEGAN d2002. British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the "King of Skiffle" who influenced many of the 1960s British pop musicians. The British Hit Singles & Albums lists him as "Britain's most successful and influential recording artist before the Beatles". He had 31 UK Top 30 single hits (24 being successive and three No1's). He was the first British male singer with two US Top10 hits. He received an Ivor Novello lifetime achievement award in 1997. In 2000 he was made an MBE. He died of a heart attack in Lincolnshire aged 71 on 3rd November 2002.