Danny Cedrone facts for kids

Donato Joseph "Danny" Cedrone (born June 20, 1920 – died June 17, 1954) was an American guitar player and band leader. He is most famous for his amazing guitar solo on the song "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets in 1954. This song became a huge hit and helped start rock and roll music.

Danny Cedrone's Music Career

1952 recording of "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie" by The Esquire Boys.

Danny Cedrone was born in Jamesville, New York. He started playing music in the 1940s. In the early 1950s, he became a very important musician. He was hired as a "session guitarist" for a group called Bill Haley and His Saddlemen. A session guitarist is someone who plays on recordings but isn't a full-time member of the band.

In 1951, Danny played lead guitar on their song "Rocket 88". Many people think this song was one of the very first rock and roll recordings ever made.

Around this time, Danny also started his own group called The Esquire Boys. This is likely why he never joined Bill Haley's band full-time. In 1952, Danny played lead guitar on Bill Haley's song "Rock the Joint". His fast guitar solo on this song was a big highlight. It mixed jazz sounds with a super-fast downward run. Bill Haley's piano player, Johnny Grande, said this solo was Danny's special "trademark" move.

Danny spent most of 1952 and 1953 working with The Esquire Boys. During this time, The Esquire Boys recorded many songs. They even recorded two versions of a song called "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie". Bill Haley would record his own version of this song later. One version by The Esquire Boys even reached number 42 on the music charts in 1954.

In 1954, Danny Cedrone returned to play with Bill Haley's group. By then, they were called The Comets. Danny played a very important part in their first recording session for Decca Records. This was on April 12, 1954, when they recorded "Rock Around the Clock" in New York City.

Danny hadn't been able to practice for the "Rock Around the Clock" session. He wasn't sure what to play for the guitar solo. Someone in the band suggested he use the same solo he played on "Rock the Joint." Danny's wife and daughter remember him practicing this solo at home.

Danny was only paid $21 for his work on this famous song. Bill Haley usually didn't hire a full-time guitar player for his band. Danny also played on Bill Haley's version of "Shake, Rattle and Roll" in June 1954. But he didn't get another big guitar solo on that song.

Sadly, just ten days after that recording session, and three days before his 34th birthday, Danny Cedrone passed away unexpectedly on June 17, 1954. Another talented guitarist named Franny Beecher took his place as a session musician for The Comets.

Eight months after Danny's death, "Rock Around the Clock" was used in the movie Blackboard Jungle. It quickly became the first rock and roll song to reach number one on the American music charts! Bill Haley and The Comets performed the song on TV many times. Sometimes, they would pretend to play along with the original 1954 recording. This means you can see videos of other guitarists pretending to play Danny Cedrone's famous solo. Even Franny Beecher, who was a great guitarist himself, didn't fully copy Danny's solo until the 1980s.

Danny Cedrone's Life and Impact

Danny Cedrone had four daughters with his wife, Millie. His family worked hard to get him recognized for his contributions to music. His guitar has been on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1998.

In 2012, Danny Cedrone was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Comets. This was done by a special group that wanted to fix the mistake of not including the band when Bill Haley was inducted earlier.

Many famous guitar players have said that Danny Cedrone's solo on "Rock Around the Clock" influenced their own music. These include Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Brian Setzer, and Danny Gatton. This shows how important his playing was to the history of rock music.

Recordings with Bill Haley

Danny Cedrone played on several important recordings with Bill Haley's group. Here are some of the most well-known songs he played on:

• "Rocket 88" (1951)
• "I'm Crying" (1951)
• "A Year Ago This Christmas" (1951)
• "Sundown Boogie" (1952)
• "Rock the Joint" (1952)
• "Dance With a Dolly" (1952)
• "Rockin' Chair On the Moon" (1952)
• "Rock Around the Clock" (1954)
• "Thirteen Women" (1954)
• "Shake, Rattle and Roll" (1954)
• "ABC Boogie" (1954)

It's believed that Danny Cedrone never performed live on stage with Bill Haley and The Comets.

Images for kids

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  The Esquire Boys featuring Danny Cedrone (second from right) in the early 1950s.

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  1954 recording of "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie" by The Esquire Boys.

See also

• Bill Haley and his Comets
• Rock Around the Clock