Skiffle

Skiffle is a style of upbeat folk music comprised of jazz, blues and country elements, often played on the guitar or banjo while accompanied by rudimentary and improvised instruments. Items like the washboard, kazoo, cigar-box fiddle and comb and paper harmonica first became recognized as having musical potential through early skiffle bands.

The style dates back to the early 1900s, but its American popularity peaked in the ‘20s in cities like Louisville and Memphis. The music’s bounce and humor is often cited as a direct influence on early rock ‘n’ roll, both in America and Great Britain, where it enjoyed a revival in the mid ‘50s.

British audiences were first wooed by skiffle’s danceable rhythms and folksy charm in 1953 when Lonnie Donegan - who would eventually be known as the king of British skiffle - entertained audiences with it in between the more popular jazz sets at clubs. Skiffle’s popularity soon exploded in the UK, and, just like in America, it merged with other styles, eventually evolving into the earliest form of English rock ‘n’ roll. Among those inspired by the new sound was a skiffle group called the Quarrymen, who quickly adopted the rock ‘n’ roll beat and soon changed their name to The Beatles.