Freddy Cannon, early rock hitmaker behind ‘Palisades Park,’ dies at 89
The singer known as Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon scored major hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s and became a fixture on “American Bandstand.”
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Freddy Cannon, the high-energy rock ’n’ roll singer whose run of early hits included “Tallahassee Lassie,” “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” and “Palisades Park,” has died at 89.
A representative said Cannon died Friday in a hospice facility after a very recent cancer diagnosis, according to Variety. His death was confirmed by longtime friend Tom Cuddy of iHeart Radio. Cannon had been living in Oxnard, California.
Cannon had been due to sit for what was expected to be his final interview on July 11 with DJ “Cousin Brucie” Morrow, but was hospitalized the day before, Cuddy said.
Born into the first wave of rock stardom, Cannon made his name with jumpy, crowd-moving records rather than slow-dance sentiment. Cuddy told Variety that Cannon “didn’t do ballads” and said Dick Clark liked him as an opener at oldies concerts because he could get audiences on their feet.
A chart run built for dance floors
Cannon broke through in 1959 with “Tallahassee Lassie,” which reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 13 on the R&B chart and No. 17 in the U.K.
That same year, “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” climbed to No. 3 on the Hot 100, hit No. 14 on the R&B chart and also reached No. 3 in the U.K.
His biggest and final U.S. top 10 hit arrived in 1962 with “Palisades Park,” written by Chuck Barris, who later became known for “The Gong Show.” The single reached No. 3 on the Hot 100, No. 15 on the R&B chart and No. 20 in the U.K.
The song’s afterlife was long. Variety noted that “Palisades Park” was later recorded by acts including Jan and Dean, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, the Beach Boys and the Ramones.
Cannon kept landing on the charts into the mid-1960s. “Abigail Beecher” reached No. 16 in 1964, and “Action,” released after he moved from Swan to Warner Bros., hit No. 13 in 1965. In 1981, he returned to the Hot 100 with “Let’s Put the Fun Back in Rock N Roll,” which peaked at No. 81.
A favorite of rock stars and TV bookers
Cannon’s representative said he held the record for most appearances on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand,” with 110.
His screen work also included “Where the Action Is,” which later supplied the title for his 2011 memoir, along with the film “Village of the Giants” and the soap opera “Never Too Young.”
His admirers stretched across generations. Variety reported that Mick Jagger said “Brown Sugar” drew inspiration from a Cannon groove, Robert Plant said Led Zeppelin played “Tallahassee Lassie” during early jams, and Stephen King referenced Cannon’s music in four books.
Shout! Factory released the compilation “Boom Boom Rock ’n’ Roll: The Best Of Freddy Cannon” in 2009. Cannon was still working on music in Oxnard before his recent hospitalization, his representative said.
Cannon is survived by his children Conny and Billy, his sister Mary Lou, son-in-law Jim, daughter-in-law Beth, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. His son John died in April, and his wife and high school sweetheart, Jeanette, died in September 2024.
“We would like to thank everyone for their love and support throughout our dad’s life,” Conny Cannon said. “He will be remembered as a rock ‘and’n’ roll icon. His music will live forever in our hearts.”
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.