
Photo: Cashbox / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Lonnie Donegan was born on April 29, 1931 in Glasgow, United Kingdom and was credited as a singer, banjoist and guitarist. Death is recorded on November 3, 2002, at the age of 71. Lonnie Donegan studied at Saint Ambrose College. Awards on record include Member of the Order of the British Empire.
My Take
Lonnie Donegan rarely gets named in casual conversation, yet his fingerprints are everywhere in British music. The "King of Skiffle" took American folk and handed it to a generation of British kids, lighting the fuse that became 1960s pop and rock. What strikes me is that his greatest achievement was generative rather than personal: he passed something forward. A Glaswegian raised in England who moved from trad jazz to skiffle and earned an MBE, he was a seed-planter. I value that kind of legacy far more than flash, and his quiet influence still echoes.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Lonnie Donegan
- Name (Japanese)
- ロニー・ドネガン
- Reading
- ろにー・どねがん
- Born
- April 29, 1931 – November 3, 2002
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Goat
- Origin
- Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Occupation
- singer / banjoist / guitarist / jazz musician / songwriter
2. Background
- University
- Saint Ambrose College
Awards & achievements
- Member of the Order of the British Empire
3. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.lonniedoneganinc.com/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie%20Donegan
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27743
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Lonnie Donegan born?
Born April 29, 1931.
When did Lonnie Donegan die?
Died November 3, 2002, aged 71.
Where was Lonnie Donegan from?
Lonnie Donegan was from Glasgow, United Kingdom.
What did Lonnie Donegan do?
Lonnie Donegan worked as singer, banjoist, guitarist, jazz musician, songwriter.
Singer — see all → · Banjoist — see all → · More people from the United Kingdom →