This week in 1960
1 My Old Man’s A Dustman Lonnie Donegan
2 Do You Mind Anthony Newley
3 Fall In Love With You Cliff Richard and the Shadows
4 Running Bear Johnny Preston
5 Delaware Perry Como
6 Theme From ‘A Summer Place’ Percy Faith
7 Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’be Max Bygraves
8 You Got What It Takes Marv Johnson
9 Wild One Bobby Rydell
10 Stuck On You Elvis Presley
Lonnie Donegan, a Glaswegian with an Irish mother, who grew up in London, was a British superstar in the fifties. Dubbed the ‘king of skiffle’, he influenced a whole generation of musicians – including the Beatles - as he chalked up hit after hit in the UK and US. ‘My Old Man’s A Dustman’ was number one in the UK, Ireland, and a number of other territories, but not the US where fans didn’t appreciate Donegan’s music style switch from familiar folk and skiffle to English music hall. Donegan’s star faded as the sixties progressed. He was regarded as old fashioned in comparison to the new, younger stars – many of whom he had inspired to pick up guitars in the first place. As Paul McCartney once recalled: ‘We all bought guitars to be in a skiffle group. He [Donegan] was the man.’ Lonnie Donegan was a performer to the end: he died aged 71 in November 2002 after suffering a heart attack midway through a UK tour.