Donato Joseph "Danny" Cedrone (June 20, 1920 — June 17, 1954)
Danny Cedrone was a guitarist and bandleader, best known for his solo
work with Bill Haley & His Comets on the famous April 12, 1954 recording
of “Rock Around the Clock”. He was paid only $21 for the session, as at
that time Haley chose not to hire a full-time guitarist for his group. He
also played on the June 7, 1954 recording session for Haley’s version
of "Shake, Rattle and Roll” although he was not given the opportunity
of another notable guitar solo. On June 17, ten days after this session,
Cedrone died of a broken neck after falling down a staircase, some
sources say he died of a heart attack.
The "Rock Around the Clock guitar" (Gibson ES 300) of Danny
Cedrone is currently on display at the Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Fame
in Cleveland.
