Biography
Freddy Cannon, the rocker, was born in Swampscott, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. His father, a truck driver and semi-professional musician, played trumpet and sang with local Boston bands. Freddy taught himself guitar and, after graduating high school in 1955, played guitar on a record by a local group called the Spindrifts titled "Cha-Cha-Do." The record became a regional hit, leading to more studio work, including lead guitar on The G-Clefs' "Ka-Ding Dong," which reached #24 on the Billboard national charts. Although he took a full-time trucking job to support his family after marrying and having children, he continued pursuing music. He eventually formed Freddy Karmon and the Hurricanes, gaining recognition in the Boston area. His appearances on a Boston dance show led to a management contract with a Boston DJ. Freddy then recorded a demo, written by his mother, called "Rock and Roll Baby." His manager brought the demo to producers Frank Slay and Bob Crewe, who saw potential and reworked the song, renaming it "Tallahassee Lassie." Philadelphia TV personality and record producer Dick Clark heard it, suggested further changes, had Freddy re-record it, and released it on Swan Records, which Clark co-owned. The song's energetic guitar solo, pounding bass, and Cannon's enthusiastic "Whoo!" made it a major hit, reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959.
Changing his stage name to Freddy Cannon—on the record company president's suggestion—and earning the nickname "Boom Boom" for his lively, unrestrained singing style, he achieved his dream of stardom. He made numerous appearances on Clark's American Bandstand and had 22 songs chart on the Billboard Top 100 over the years. His follow-up, "Okeefeenokee," only reached #43, but "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" became one of his biggest hits, going gold and peaking at #3. He toured the US and Britain and continued to chart hits, though none as large, until 1962 when he released his best-known and biggest hit, "Palisades Park," written by Chuck Barris about a famous New Jersey amusement park.
Though his career declined somewhat afterward, he continued touring and recording. In 1965, he recorded "Action," the theme for Dick Clark's TV series Where the Action Is, and appeared in teen-oriented films like Just for Fun (1963) and Village of the Giants (1965).
After leaving Swan Records, he signed with Warner Bros. Records and, following his 1967 departure, recorded for various labels. In the 1970s, he worked with Buddah Records as both performer and promotions specialist. He remained active in recording and touring rock 'n' roll revival shows, and appeared in the 1982 H.B. Halicki film The Junkman.
Now residing in Tarzana, California, where he serves as honorary fire chief, Freddy Cannon continues to tour.
