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Rich Koz, otherwise known as Svengoolie, is mourning his longtime friend Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, who died on July 17, 2026, at the age of 89. Cannon died at a hospice facility in California after recently being diagnosed with cancer, according to Variety.
“This is a sad day. Our friend Freddy ‘Boom Boom’ Cannon has passed away,” Svengoolie shared on social media. “I am honored that it all began with him calling me, telling me he was a fan, and that he had actually written a song about me, and moved on to a great friendship. His enthusiasm, sense of humor, and countless stories of his rock and roll world made knowing him a wonderful experience. I will miss him.”
His other signature hit arrived in 1962 with “Palisades Park,” written by future The Gong Show host Chuck Barris. Complete with amusement park sound effects, the song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Cannon followed it with the Top 20 singles “Abigail Beecher” in 1964 and “Action” in 1965. The latter served as the theme song for Dick Clark’s television series Where the Action Is.
Cannon became one of the most familiar musical faces on television. His representative said he held the record for the most appearances on American Bandstand with 110. He also appeared on Shindig!, Hullabaloo, The Midnight Special and Where the Action Is. His film credits included Just for Fun (1963), Village of the Giants (1965) and The Junkman (1982), and he appeared as himself on the teen soap opera Never Too Young in 1966.
Although Cannon was sometimes grouped with the teen idols of his era, he never believed the description fit him. In an interview with ClassicBands.com, Cannon said, “What mattered to me was to sing real, raw rock ‘n’ roll records.” He continued performing around the world and working with Clark at American Bandstand reunion concerts long after his biggest chart successes. In 1981, Cannon and the Belmonts returned to the Billboard Hot 100 with “Let’s Put the Fun Back in Rock N Roll.” He later recounted his career in the 2011 memoir Where the Action Is!
Cannon continued recording during the final years of his life. Along with his songs for Svengoolie, he was reportedly working on new music shortly before his hospitalization. He is survived by his children Conny and Billy, his sister Mary Lou, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. His wife and high school sweetheart, Jeanette, died in September 2024, and their son John died in April 2026.
Tell us in the comments — which one of his songs is your favorite?
