Prince Charles Honors Legend

By Caitlin O'toole

10/21/1997 at 12:00 AM EDT

Lonnie Donegan, whose signature rendition of "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor (on the Bedpost) Overnight?" and other songs inspired the likes of John Lennon and Pete Townshend, was honored by Prince Charles on Friday, reports the Associated Press. Donegan, 69, best known for his "skiffle" style of music -- a fusion of jug band, acoustic, black, folk, and country styles, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Though best known for "Chewing Gum," Donegan's influence was wide. John Lennon was so inspired by Donegan that he started a "skiffle" group called The Quarrymen in 1957, a group whose sound prompted a then fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney to introduce himself to Lennon. The rest, of course, is history.