Born Frederick Anthony Picariello in 1939, rock and roll veteran Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon grew up in a suburb of Boston. His upbringing nurtured his eventual musical career, having been raised by a mother who enjoyed amateur songwriting and a father who involved himself in several local outfits either as a singer or trumpet player. Inspired by Big Joe Turner’s R&B style, Chuck Berry’s guitar talent, and Little Richard’s vocal showmanship, he picked up the guitar and formed Freddy Karmon & the Hurricanes while in high school. After gaining local popularity, he joined the Spindrifts and cut his first record.

During his solo career, Cannon had twenty-two songs on the Billboard charts during the late 50s and early-to-mid 60s, three of which became Top 10 hits: “Palisades Park,” “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” and “Tallahassie Lassie.” The latter was penned by his mother in 1959. The singer-songwriter-guitarist earned his nickname from the driving beats that propelled his music, staying true to the original big beat style of rock ‘n roll. Cannon holds the record for most appearances on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, 110 times, a feat that granted him invaluable national exposure.