Freddy Cannon

by Erika Cox

He was dubbed Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon because of his thundering sound.

To some Freddy Cannon was a teen idol of the late 1950’s, however, his style was much different than that of a teen idol. He was a true rocker and really didn’t have the looks to be a teen idol. Freddy was born Frederick Picariello on December 4, 1940, in Revere, Massachusetts.

Like many other Italian Americans at that time, he changed his last name to a more “acceptable” name to have a chance at success. Having a musical background, his father’s second job was a musician of a band he played with at nights, Freddy taught himself how to play the guitar. By the time Freddy was sixteen he knew how to play the guitar very well and formed a small band called the Hurricanes.

He started using his father’s stage name, Fred Carmen, and imitating Little Richard’s hard driving vocal screeches. In 1956, Freddy was able to play guitar on a song called “Ka-Ding Dong” recorded by a studio group that was practicing in the studio. Freddy knew he wanted a musical career, he knew he had want it took as far as style and talent, and he didn’t need a manager to “prep” him for the role.

Freddy truly loved music and sought to get a piece of the Rock and Roll music scene. Of course, he wasn’t one of the greatest Rock and Roll artists but he did his part in helping the music thrive throughout the late 1950’s.

In order to make sure his musical career would happen he avoided military service, joined the National Guard, married and became a young father. And like his father, he became a delivery driver during the day and would play with the Hurricanes at night in various local clubs.

The popularity of the band soon grew and they were eventually noticed by a Boston disc jockey named Jack McDermott. McDermott was impressed by what he saw while observing Freddy playing and wailing on a song.

McDermott encouraged Freddy to make a demo and give it to a couple of producers for them to hear, he also recommended that Freddy change his last name to Cannon. Freddy changed his last name and sent a demo of “Tallahassee Lassie” to Parkway/Cameo Records.

The record producers at Parkway/Cameo invited Freddy and his band to audition but the session did not go well. One producer felt Freddy’s guitar playing wasn’t good enough and this didn’t go over well with Freddy or the band. Also, the producers thought the song they were recording was to rough for radio.

Remember, this is a time when many record producers were not fond of or didn’t understand rock and roll music and wanted to push the simple pop music on artists to play. The song was getting turned down by a number of record labels but one label in New Jersey loved the song and handed it over to Swan Records in Philadelphia, which was partly owned by Dick Clark.

Swan signed Freddy to a contract, re-recorded the song, which at first was promoted in Boston and Philadelphia it also received regular play on American Bandstand.

In 1959, the song was released nationally and hit the Top Ten on the charts with the success of “Tallahassee Lassie” Cannon was finally was able to quit his day job and focus on his musical career. “Tallahassee Lassie” was one of twenty-two songs of Cannon’s that would appear on the charts. Freddy copied Little Richard’s wild style and recorded hard driven rock and roll songs.

Unlike the teen idols, his style was more rock and roll than pop he played with the intensity and energy of a true rock and roll artist. However, like the teen idols most of his success was due to his appearances on American Bandstand, he appeared on the show more than any other artist, over a 100 times.

Throughout the 1960’s, he continued to have successful hits even when he moved to Warner Brothers. In the late 1960’s, after his fame declined in America he remained an international star and would continue to tour overseas. Freddy has appeared in a number of concerts and also with Dick Clark’s Bandstand reunion shows.

Listening to his music it is obvious that Freddy Cannon was no teen idol, he was not a marketing tool, he displayed talent and ability and was a true rock and roll artist.

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Freddy Cannon

Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon