Mel McGonnigle
Mel McGonnigle (* 1940 ) is an American rockabilly musician.
Life
Childhood and youth
McGonnigle was mainly influenced by rock 'n' roll in his youth . Role models for him were artists like Little Richard , Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins . After graduating from high school in 1957, he turned down a college scholarship and tried his hand at the local Boston music scene.
Career
McGonnigle began performing in the Boston area with Ricky Coyne and his band, the Guitar Rockers . In 1958, when McGonnigle had just turned 18, he rented Ace Recording Studios in Boston for $ 35 to record some demo tapes for himself. Together with Ricky Coyne and the Guitar Rockers he began to record his two self-written songs Rattle Shakin 'Mama and Cheryl Baby , until producer Herb Yakus interrupted them. He offered McGonnigle a contract and that same evening McGonnigle's first single was ready. Rattle Shakin 'Mama / Cheryl Baby was released on the small rocket label in 1958, but received little attention. Shortly after the single was released, McGonnigle was booked for a major rock and roll show in Boston, starring Bill Haley , Shirley and Lee , Frankie Lymon and Frankie Avalon .
Rattle Shakin 'Mama is considered a typical wild rockabilly for many collectors today, but if you listen carefully you have to realize that McGonnigle has difficulty keeping the beat. Rick Anderson from Allmusic called McGonnigle musically incompetent, because "Mel McGonnigle's valiant struggle to keep track of his song's basic rhythmic structure would be funny if it weren't so sad."
But in 1958 McGonnigle broke off his career and went to the US Navy , where he stayed until 1962. He then married and worked in finance and banking until he retired in 2008. McGonnigle recently recorded four new titles that he published on the Internet.
Rattle Shakin 'Mama was re-published since 1974 on ten times - the first time on the 1974 published LP I Love Rock and Roll of Collector Records . In 2004 the title was also used on Alan Freed's Rock, Rock Rock DVD . In 2003 Rockin 'Ryan and the Goners covered Rattle Shakin' Mama .
Discography
| year | title | Label # |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Rattle Shakin 'Mama / Cheryl Baby | Rocket 101 |
Web links
- Brief biography
- Interview with Mel McGonnigle on Mellow's Log Cabin
- Discography with audio samples
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mel McGonnigle at Allmusic (English)
- ↑ lastfm.de
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | McGonnigle, Mel |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rockabilly musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1940 |