Freddy Cannon, a longtime rock star who helped pioneer the genre of rock and roll, has died. As reported by Variety, he was 89 years old.
His death was confirmed by Cannon's representative, who said the rock and roll star died at a hospice facility. This followed a "very recent" diagnosis of cancer, according to his longtime friend Tom Cuddy of iHeart Radio.
Before his tragic passing, he was scheduled to do "what would have been his final interview" on July 11. However, he had to back out from the call with legend "Cousin Brucie" Morrow as he needed to go to the hospital.
Freddy Cannon was most well known for his upbeat style of music. Cuddy explained that "he didn't do ballads". According to Cuddy, his "upbeat and fun" style of music and performances earned him the nickname of Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon.
Some of his greatest hits included Tallahassee Lassie, which hit number 6 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1959, and Way Down in New Orleans, which peaked at 14 on the R&B chart. However, his biggest hit was 1962's Palisades Park, which hit number 3 on the Hot 100.
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The Rock and Roll Legend Influenced Some of Your Favorite Artists
Don't believe me?
Well, The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger credited Cannon for inspiring the undeniable groove of their hit "Brown Sugar".
Led Zeppelin were also enamored by Cannon's hits. They were known to have played "Tallahassee Lassie" in jam sessions.
And he even had a legendary influence on non-musicians, too. Stephen King had a knack for mentioning the rock and roll star's music in his books, doing it four separate times.
Tributes Poured in for the Rock Pioneer
Tributes have poured in for the rock and roll pioneer from fans.
One commenter wrote, "Terrible new[s], sure feel old today- rest easy, Boom Boom," with another writing, "He may have left the stage but his boom will echo forever, and his songs will keep us dancing in memory."
Other commenters expressed their favorite song from the legend. "Before my time but I loved Palisades Park. It painted such a wonderful picture of a simpler time RIP Boom Boom".
Rest in peace to a true pioneer.
