If anyone needs any information on my grandfather, permission to use any of the Cedrone family photos for publication, or anything else pertaining to Danny Cedrone, please feel free to contact me (Danny) and I'll be more than happy to assist you in any way that I can...
Music
Danny Cedrone's Dicogrophy:
"How I Wish That I Could Find My Baby" - Harmony Rangers (WIP Radio) 1948, "Forgetting You" - Harmony Rangers (WIP Radio) 1948, "Fingers On Fire" - Harmony Rangers (WIP Radio) 1948, "Tico Tico" - Harmony Rangers (WIP Radio) 1948, "China Boy" - Harmony Rangers (WIP Radio) 1948, "Barefoot Days" - Esquire Boys (WIP Radio) 1948, "Bundle Of Joy" - Esquire Boys & Kay Karol 1950, "Darlin Come Back To Me" - Esquire Boys & Kay Karol 1951, "We Drifted Apart" - Esquire Boys & Kay Karol 1951, "If It's Love" - Esquire Boys & Kay Karol 1951, "Rocket 88" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1951, "Tearstains On My Heart" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1951, "A Year Ago This Christmas" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1951, "I Don't Want To Be Alone This Christmas" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1951, "Sundown Boogie" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1951, "Pretty Baby" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1951, "I'm Crying" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1951, "Let's Play Ball" - Esquire Boys & Kay Karol 1952, "Forgetting You" - Esquire Boys & Kay Karol 1952, "Rock-A-Beatin Boogie" #1 - Esquire Boys & Kay Karol 1952, "Caravan" - Esquire Boys 1952, "Hills Of Gold" - Guy Tanno & The Pat Dennis Orchestra 1952, "Say It From Your Heart" - Guy Tanno & The Pat Dennis Orchestra 1952, "Listen To My Plea" - Esquire Boys & Ricky Carlo 1952, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" - Esquire Boys & Ricky Carlo 1952, "Rock The Joint" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1952, "Rockin' Chair On The Moon" - Bill Haley & The Saddlemen 1952, "Dance With The Dolly" - Bill Haley & THe Saddlemen 1952, "Stop Beatin' Round The Mulberry Bush" - Bill Haley & His Comets 1952, "Real Rock Drive" - Bill Haley & His Comets 1952, "Rock-A-Beatin Boogie" #2 - Esquire Boys 1953, "St. Louis Blues" - Esquire Boys 1953, "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" - Esquire Boys 1953, "Taboo" - Esquire Boys 1953, "Oh Babe" - Esquire Boys & Cedrone Sisters 1953, "Nichelodeon Jamboree" - Esquire Boys & Cedrone Sisters 1953, "ABC Boogie" - Bill Haley & His Comets 1954, "Shake Rattle & Roll" - Bill Haley & His Comets 1954, "Thirteen Women" - Bill Haley & His Comets 1954, "Rock Around The Clock" - Bill Haley & His Comets 1954...... The following is a short list of some of the performers that Danny shared the stage with: Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Al Martino, Lou Monte, Louis Prima and of course his good friend, Bill Haley (the above names are the house list, in other words, everybody that visited his South Philly home for Sunday dinner...... The following is a list of some of the musicians that were either part of "The Esquire Boys" or that Danny played with on a frequent basis: Bob Scaltrito - Rhythm Guitar (The Esquire Boys), Frank Virtue - Bulldog Bass (The Esquire Boys), Kay Karol - Sometime Female Vocalist (The Esquire Boys), Mac Mcguire & The Harmony Rangers. The musicians Danny sat in with while recording with Bill Haley & The Saddlemen/Bill Haley & The Comets were: Johnny Grande - Piano, Billy Williamson - Steel Guitar, Marshall Lytle (a.k.a. Tommy Page) - Bulldog Bass, Joey Ambrose (D'Ambrosio) - Saxophone, Billy Gussak - Drums, and legendary producer, Milt Gabler...
Movies
Danny's playing has been featured in the following films:
"Blackboard Jungle", "Rock Around The Clock", "American Graffiti", "Superman", "Bull Durham", "Liberty Heights" and many more worldwide...
Television
Some of the bigger programs Danny appeared on were: Live Like A Millionaire, American Bandstand (with Bob Horn), he and his band "The Esquire Boys" also were scheduled to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, but sadly, he passed away before their scheduled appearance. In addition, in the mid 70's when the hit sitcom, Happy Days premiered, it was Danny's solo in Rock around The Clock, that the world heard...
Books
Some of the books Danny Cedrone has been mentioned in: Sound and Glory by John W. Haley & John von Hoelle, Bill Haley The Daddy of Rock & Roll by John Swenson, Rock Around The Clock by Jim Dawson, 25 Great Guitar Solos by Chad Johnson, Rock On by Norm N. Night... Some of the great magazines Danny has been featured in: Musician Magazine (feature) by Dan Forte, Guitar Player Magazine (feature) by Dan Forte, Guitar Shop Magazine (feature) by Peter Prown, Guitar Edge Magazine (feature) by Dave Rubin, Guitar Techniques Magazine (feature) by Neville Marten...
Heroes
His mother (Domenica) and his father (Vincenzo)... Musically, The Ink Spots and especially The Mills Brothers...
About me: | View Show | Create Your Own This is the official Danny Cedrone myspace. Which has been put together by his grandson, Danny (That's me). Through the years there has been many discrepancies pertaining to my grandfather and his work. Hopefully this myspace will clear up all of them... Danny Cedrone was born Donato Joseph Cedrone on June, 20th 1920 in Jamesville, NY... His mother: Domenica (Died - February, 23rd 1937) His father: Vincenzo (Died - March, 4th 1939) They came to America (Boston Harbor) from Italy on September, 28th 1912... He had (4) brothers: Tony, Joseph, Luciano & Clementino and he also had (4) sisters: Laura, Alba, Mary & Anita... After Danny was born, his family moved to South Philadelphia in early 1921... His mother (Domenica) taught him how to play the guitar before the age of 10... He also played the violin, Bass, Piano, Banjo and just about anything else that had strings... He played by ear and had perfect pitch... He had a beautiful baritone voice and sang lead for his band, "The Esquire Boys"... His first band was called "The Four Kings"... He married Carmela (Millie) Cassella on March, 21st 1939 in Philadelphia, PA... They had (4) children: Marie (my mother), Theresa, Lorraine & Janet... Marie, Theresa & Lorraine sang together as "The Cedrone Sisters"... Danny's groundbreaking recordings were: Guitar Boogie Shuffle by "The Esquire Boys" (his band)... Rock-A-Beatin Boogie (written especially for Danny by Bill Haley) by "The Esquire Boys"... Caravan, his biggest and only charted hit with "The Esquire Boys", that was covered (stolen) note for note, down to the slapping of the guitar by RCA Record's, Ralph Marterie Orchestra (their only #1 record, according to my mother and grandmother, he never got over that dissapointment)... Rocket 88 and Rock The Joint by "Bill Haley and His Saddlemen"... Real Rock Drive, ABC Boogie, Shake Rattle & Roll, Thirteen Women and Rock Around The Clock by "Bill Haley and His Comets... He died on June, 17th 1954 from a fall down a flight of steps. After a relatively early show at Palumbo's (a legendary nightclub in South Philadelphia) he went to his home at 1922 S. Jessup Street (in South Philadelphia) where his wife Millie asked him if he would go and pick up something to eat for her and the girls. Later, while leaving a friend's establishment with a bag of roast beef sandwiches, (The 819 Bar in South Philly, dining room on the second floor) he fell down a flight of steps and broke his neck, dying instantly. Believe it or not, The 819 Bar on 819 Snyder Avenue hasen't been open for more than 20 years, but to this day still stands there unoccupied with the sign still up (a constant reminder to my family, the tragedy that took place over 50 years ago)... Ironically Danny was viewed (his wake) on his birthday, which just happened to fall on Father's Day that year... Rock Around The Clock was not released until after he died, and did not become a hit until 1955. Rock Around The Clock was the first monster hit of rock & roll, and the biggest selling Rock & Roll record of all time. Danny Cedrone was the very first lead guitarist of that genre of music. He was the first to bring a structured solo into the recording studio and basically take over a song with a fiery guitar lead. Even today over 50 years after he played it, the solo still presents technical and mechanical diffuculties for some of today's top players. Rock Around The Clock has been in more major motion pictures and more television shows, than any other song in history (even if they only play 30 seconds of it, his solo is always included in the portion. That should tell you something about what his solo meant, and still means to that song)... So, how did it come about that he would duplicate his solo from "Rock The Joint" and use it again for "Rock Around The Clock"? Well there have been many stories, but this is what happened. A couple days before the recording session Bill Haley came to Danny's house in South Philly (as he did many times), hung out there for a while, had dinner, and then they picked up a couple guitars and started an informal rehearsal for the upcoming session (in the parlor, mind you). From what my grandmother and mother told me it wasn't real long before grandpop started using his now legendary solo (it had always been a favorite of his wife and daughters). So Rock & Roll guitar history was decided that night, in a little row home, up a little street in South Philly with Danny's wife, his daughters, his sister (Mary), and Bill Haley there to witness it. My grandmother told me many times, when my grandfather was feeling the pressures of show business, he would say to her, "Mil, all I need is that one hit, that one big record and we'll be on our way". Unfortunately the record came, but he wasn't here to enjoy it (physically anyway) and never got to see what his wife and daughters' favorite solo did to the face of Rock & Roll guitar forever. Come to think of it, I find it pretty amazing that on one of the last times my grandfather's hands touched his guitar in a recording studio, it was to play on the song that would ultimately make his name live on forever. That's the the kind of stuff Hollywood makes movies about, hmm maybe someday, I sure have enough stories about his triumphs and tribulations to write a screenplay about him. For the past ten years his Guitar (Gibson ES-300) has been on display where it belongs, in "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in Cleveland. I think it is safe to say, that my grandfather Dan Cedrone, was the first of many residents in Rock & Roll Heaven... His daughters (The Cedrone Sisters) couldn't bare to go on singing without him after his death, so they retired after a very successful early career (His daughter, Lorraine passed away on September, 18th 1986)... His wife Millie (my grandmother) passed away on April, 1st 2005, she never remarried...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIQizbO09mw
OMGGGGGG! Danny!!! how the heck are you. tell your wife i said hi. how's life been toya??? hope all is well. we'll have to come see you play sometimes. i will check out your profile to see when & where you play---post info. kk, luvs ya. ttyl.
Rock around the clock, and precisely that guitar chorus, changed my life when I was 13yo, turned on the tv, and watched for the 1st time the Happy Days show (remember? Fonzie? ah ah!) - I remember - it was France in the mid 70es - I recorded Rock around the clock with a little tape recorder from the TV speaker... sound was awful but it made it for me... And it was the FIRST thing I wanted to learn on the guitar - that and the equally seminal Guitar Boogie. 5 years later, we had a revival 50es jump and jive rock band and played religiously Rock the joint ... And I still get goose bumps when I listen to the one and only original. No one plays it like your Grandfather did. But EVERY guitarist I know sure tried!
Hello and thanks for welcoming me into your space~I have been passionately supportive of your grandfathers work ever since "Happy Days" when I said to Mom, "that's my favorite song!" and she pulled out her case of 45's and let me have "Rock around the clock" b/w "Thirteen women" from her collection. It was probably '74 and that made me six, but I knew real quality!!! God bless and thank you....Eric
