From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Fri Jun 7, 2002  1:13 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Larry Donn
 
LARRY DONN (By Jean-Marc Pezet)

Born Larry Donn Gillihan, 7 June 1941, Bono, Arkansas

Raised on country music, Larry discovered serious rockin 'n' rollin when he
saw Sonny Burgess & The Pacers live at his school gymnasium, followed
later by Elvis P. himself.
Forced to have some rest after a lawn mower accident, Larry learned to play
the guitar and, just back on his feet, entered a talent contest in which he won
second place singing two Johnny Cash songs. He also met guitarist Benny
Kuykendall with whom he set up a band and started touring soon after.
By the end of 1957, he met Billy Lee Riley and through him, Larry was able
to go to Sun Records in Memphis where he cut the first version of "That's
What I Call A Ball", which has stayed unreleased to these days.
Larry continued to hang around local and touring musicians in Bono, until he
had the opportunity to meet Arlen Vaden at a Sonny Burgess show in 1959.
When asked to play a few songs, he promptly obliged and that led to the
recording of the classic "Honey Bun" (c/w "That's What I Call A Ball", Vaden
113), written by the aforementionned B. Kuykendall. "Honey Bun" was a minor
local hit and a cracking rockabilly song to boot!
From then on, Larry worked as an entertainer, for radio stations and even
television, having odd releases from time to time.
He performed on stage for the first time in the UK in 1989 and has been
contributing a monthly page in Now Dig This magazine, "Rockabilly Days
With" for over 10 years now.

Recommended listening:
"Honey Bun" on Vaden 113 has been reproed not too long ago.
Larry Donn CD on Collector Records. (Sleeve notes by Tony Wilkinson)
More info: http://www.deltaboogie.com/deltamusicians/gillihan.htm