(Johnny Sardo - Frankie Sardo)
Australia
#15 Sydney #13 Adelaide #19 Perth
Single on Leedon.
Rock'n'roll star Lonnie Lee, born David Lawrence Rix in western New South Wales in 1940, had his first hit in 1959, Ain't It So, written with Johnny O'Keefe. With his backing band The Leemen, he followed this with a number of national hits. In Sydney, for example, he charted eight times from 1959 to 1962, notably with Starlight, Starbright (1960, #3) and I Found A New Love (1960, #2). Like many early Aussie rockers, he moved on to country music.
Further reading: 1. LonnieLee.com. 2. Lonnie Lee page from Howlspace [archived].
Thanks to Terry Stacey for suggestion and research.
(Johnny Sardo - Frankie Sardo)
USA
Original version
Single on 20th-Fox, written by the artist and his brother.
After attracting attention in some US markets with brother Johnny’s composition Fake Out (1958), Frankie Sardo (b.1939) joined Buddy Holly’s Winter Dance Party tour, with The Big Bopper and Richie Valens. He was the opener at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on 2 February 1959, the last show before the day the music died.
Frankie Sardo released at least eight singles 1958-62 on various labels including ABC and United Artists. Beyond his career as a rock’n’roll singer, he has often worked in the film industry, including as an independent film producer under the name Frankie Avianca after his mother’s side of the family.
References, further reading: 1. Label shot and audio at Oldies Teen Sound (commentary in Japanese). 2. The Frankie Sardo Story at Rock’n’Roll Hall of fame. 3. Frankie Sardo biography and discography at BuddyHollyAndThe Crickets.com. 4. Frankie Avianca at IMDb. 5. Some US & Canadian radio chart placings at ARSA.
(Johnny Sardo - Frankie Sardo)
USA
Later version
Single on Bobby.
Further reading: Label shot and audio at Oldies Teen Sound (commentary in Japanese).
It’s hard to say whether this Bobby is the label of that name from Tyler, Texas.
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2021. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Joop Jansen, More…