The Esquire Boys consisted of Bobby Scale (professional name of Orlando Scaltrito) and Danny Cedrone, the guitarist for Bill Haley and His Comets. For Bill Haley, Danny Cedrone created some of the most memorable guitar licks in rock history at the very beginning of modern music. Cedrone moved from his birthplace of Jamesville NY to Philadelphia, where he started working with Chester, PA-based Bill Haley when the group was still called Bill Haley and the Saddlemen, playing Jersey country-and-western music, as described by Paul Miller, the brother of label head Dave Miller.
Haley recorded for Essex Records, which also had the Ames Brothers and numerous Philadelphia String Band releases. When Essex label owner Dave Miller had Haley record " Rocket 88 " and changed the group name to Bill Haley and His Comets, he made rock and roll history. Cedrone’s guitar solo on Haley's 1952 " Rock the Joint ” featured his signature down-scale lightning run.
Cedrone focused on his work with Bob Scale and The Esquire Boys , while continuing to work with Bill Haley. The Esquire Boys’ 1954 release of " Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie " (Guyden 705) got to No. 42 on the Cash Box chart. " Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie ” was written by Bill Haley but the Esquire Boys put it out on Guyden the year before Bill Haley himself recorded it. "Bobby Sox Jamboree" b/w "St. Louie Blues Walk" (Guyden 714) came out as by the Squires after Esquire magazine complained about the possible confusion of the group with their trademark; to which the company replied, what about the shoe polish?
On June 17, 1954, Cedrone died of a heart attack. His place as session musician in the Comets was taken by Franny Beecher , who would later graduate to full Comets member.
Cedrone’s guitar has been displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1998 and he himself was inducted as a member of the Comets in 2012, twenty-five years after Bill Haley and 58 years after he died.
