Freddy Cannon, the rock and roll singer known for hits including "Palisades Park" and "Tallahassee Lassie", has died aged 89. He passed away on Friday at a hospice facility in California, according to an announcement from his friend, iHeart Radio's Tom Cuddy. Cannon, nicknamed "Boom Boom" for his energetic style, helped define the early rock and roll era and became a fixture of American television music shows during his decades-long career.

Born on 4 December 1936 in Lynn, Massachusetts, Cannon rose to fame after Dick Clark took an interest in "Tallahassee Lassie", which reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. He went on to make a record 110 appearances on Clark's American Bandstand, and scored his biggest hit with "Palisades Park", which peaked at No. 3 in 1962. Other notable songs included "Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy" and "Abigail Beecher", and he later published a memoir, Where the Action Is!, in 2011. He is survived by his children, sister, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, having been predeceased by his son and his wife, Jeanette.