Lonnie Donegan changed my life

By Paddy Carr

Hello! My name’s Paddy and I’d just like to tell you about how Lonnie Donegan changed my life.

You see I used to have a harmonica group and we used to play on the corner with a group of lads but I found you can’t sing with a harmonica, it’s a bit difficult.

Anyway, so we decided to buy a guitar. My dad took me to buy a guitar. He wanted to buy me a brand new guitar, but I fell in love with a second hand Michigan Chello guitar. It’s an American kind of guitar. The ones with the F-hole – which gave a bit more volume to the sound.

My friends and I learned a few chords. But there wasn’t much music then for the guitar – there was country and western that we were interested in. Frankie Lane was the top artist then with “Cool Water” and “High Noon”. And they were really good, the Country Western but that’s all you had. And the other option was “A pink toothbrush, A blue toothbrush!” and it didn’t seem to click.

There was a kind of explosion in the music world which Lonnie had caused by bringing out a new brand of music which was called “Skiffle. Now I'd just like to tell you exactlty what skiffle was…… It was played with anything you could get your hands on, that would make a noise. A washboard took the place of drums, a tea chest bass was made with a tea chest, a broom shank, and a piece of string – it made quite a good bass sound. And of course a guitar or a banjo.

Then it happened! There was quite an explosion in the music world. When Lonnie Donegan fetched out the skiffle number called “Rock Island Line”. I said to my friend Billy, surely we can play that. We formed a skiffle group and made lots of friends. Then I met Neville who worked in the pit with me and learned him a few chords on guitar.

Rock and Roll came on the music scene with Bill Hayley and the Comets. We saw Rock around the clock at the cinema and nobody could sit still. Seats were pulled up and all sorts, that was just to make room for them to dance – that gave the teenagers and rock and roll a bad name.

Then came the King, Elvis. We changed from skiffle to Rock and Roll. It was more exciting. We formed a group called the Diamonds and played on the Empire in Newcastle on “Opportunity Knocks”. We were getting quite well known now playing in local pubs and clubs. This new found fame and the guitar really brought me out of my shell.

We were playing in the Leazes Park one night when this young lad came over and introduced himself. It was Bruce Welch, who is in the Shadows now and asked if we would play at the Rutherford Jazz College. We went there on the Thursday night and played for them, and that’s where I met Hank. Hank was playing on the stage with the proper Jazz band. We were invited back to Bruce’s flat where we used to go and have a bit muck about, playing like a jam session.

Hank and Bruce had a band called the Railroaders, they were very good too. And they were making their mind up to go to London to try their luck at the “2 Eyes Coffee Bar”, that’s where the action was in the music world for new starters and what not. They asked, why don’t you go, to me, take my band and go to. But I didn’t want to go. Because I would have lost my job and my house. And apart from that I wouldn’t have met Carol my wife who I love dearly and we have Joe, Jolene, Kerry and Leanne who I am very proud of.

Neville, Geoff and myself were resident trio at the “Jingling Gate” at Westerhope for 7 years. It was one of the best times of my life. We really made it there, people used to come from all over.

Anyway, that’s my story. I thank Lonnie Donegan for changing my life! God bless him!