Freddy Cannon, a veteran of the early rock scene whose hits of the late ’50s and early ’60s included the top 10 hits “Palisades Park,” “Tallahassee Lassie” and “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” died Friday at 89.
A representative said Cannon, who lived in Oxnard, California, died at a hospice facility after very recently being diagnosed with cancer, as confirmed by his longtime friend, iHeart Radio’s Tom Cuddy. Cannon had been scheduled to do “what would have been his final interview” on July 11 with legendary DJ “Cousin Brucie” Morrow, but he ended up being taken to the hospital the day before.
Cannon, who was sometimes billed as Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, was revered by many fans of his original era because, for one thing, he “didn’t do ballads,” said Cuddy. “I had never seen a performer who kept his performance so upbeat and fun. Dick Clark once told me that every time he hosted an oldies concert, he asked Freddy to open it, because he knew Freddy would get the audience on their feet with up-tempo rock ‘n’ roll.
Cannon’s acolytes included Mick Jagger (who said the groove of “Brown Sugar” was Cannon-inspired), Robert Plant (who said Led Zeppelin played “Tallahassee Lassie” in jams when they were just finding their sea legs) and Stephen King (who mentioned Cannon’s music in four of his books).
