Skiffle also bore a passing resemblance to rockabilly, which was growing in popularity in the States during the same period that skiffle was taking Great Britain by storm. That made it a natural fit for Johnny Duncan, and after spending some time with Barber's band, he decided in 1957 to go solo, backed by his newly-formed Blue Grass Boys. Although his sound might have been a little different than traditional skiffle, British audiences liked it and a recording contract followed.
Duncan's first record was a four-track EP that included several traditional country songs such as "Freight Train Blues" and "Blue Yodel," but the lines between genres were a little blurred in those days and his musical style suited British skiffle fans just fine. That included several young musicians from Liverpool whose fledgling group — the Quarrymen — would later evolve into the Beatles.
While he was hot, Duncan continued to hit the recording studio, generating a series of records that included what would be his biggest hit, "Last Train to San Fernando," a song that was actually a reworked calypso piece. He also had good sellers with "Blue Blue Heartache" and "Ella Speed." (Video below.) Although Duncan was tremendously popular in Great Britain, he was unable to export his fame to the States, where he was considered just one of many rockabilly-style country singers. Eventually his popularly lessened among British fans too, but for many years he was still able to make occasional spot appearances for his loyal fans. He also continued to do the occasional recording over the next decade or two, but eventually retired. He died in 2000.
Article comments
1 - life of the beatles
Interesting - I hadn't heard of him, but it's quite possible the Beatles were influenced by his early skiffle records. The Beatles also of course knew Chris Barber, whose band recorded McCartney's "Cat Call."