LONNIE Donegan died the very day he was due to play the Grand Opera House in York: November 3 2002. Ever the wit, the 71-year-old king of skiffle had been closing his shows on that tour with the gospel blues of This May Be The Last Time.

And so tomorrow's performance of Lonnie D - The Musical at the York theatre will have all the more poignancy for Donegan's widow, Sharon, and his sons Peter, Anthony and David.

"I always think he'll still come out on stage and say 'Come on, let's have a good time," says Sharon. "I come from Scarborough, and I always used to meet Lonnie at York station, so the York show will be special for me."

Lonnie D - The Musical is a new touring tribute show that depicts the life and times of the Glasgow-born singer, whose hits Rock Island Line, Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O and Cumberland Gap introduced skiffle music to the British charts. Peter and Anthony Donegan will lead a cast of 15, including Lonnie's stalwart Skiffle Band, complemented by original Donegan recordings and nostalgic footage of Lonnie himself.

"The show originally came about because Peter was working with Leah Bell on her Fifties and Sixties' shows when he wasn't working with Lon. Lon knew Leah too, and when she was doing a summer season, one night we were chatting and she said 'Lon, how do feel about all these shows about Elvis, Buddy and Roy Orbison? Why isn't there one about you?'...and he said 'Well, bloody well write one!'." Ironically, Lonnie already had established his own retrospective show in the 1980s. "In the first half, he'd play solo, telling his story and playing Old Grandfather Clock on his guitar, and then he'd come out for the second half saying 'And this is me now' and he'd play with his band," says Sharon.

"I used to film and record the shows for him, and now the BBC has just brought out a CD called This Year The Story, which has Lonnie telling his life story and then playing in concert."

In Lonnie D - The Musical, the show opens in the Frothy Coffy, based on the coffee bar in London where Lonnie and Adam Faith used to busk, have fun and chill out. Peter and Anthony narrate Lonnie's story, with acoustic musical contributions from the skiffle band, and in the second half, there is a full electric set of Lonnie's hits.

"Anthony sings the rougher side of Lonnie's music, Peter the softer side, and when they're together it's quite spooky," says Sharon. "You think, hang on, where's Lon? It's very emotional for me watching the show."

Lonnie D - The Musical, Grand Opera House, York, March 19, 7.30pm. Tickets: £16, £14, ring 0870 606 3590.

Updated: 15:22 Thursday, March 17, 2005