Once upon a time rock ’n’ roll was believed to be the devil incarnate and “rebel rousers” such as Duane Eddy were the scourge of society.

But now, at the age of 72, in the serene art deco surroundings of the De La Warr Pavilion and backed by Richard Hawley’s band of virtuoso talent, we saw that the rebel has mellowed into a gently spoken, amiable light-entertainer who delivered an evening of sophistication and reflection to his silver-haired fans.

Watching Duane Eddy is like going on a popular music historical rollercoaster. As he “twanged” his renowned “Gretch” guitar through his set featuring hits that have endured for more than 50 years, the notes traced the styles by which Eddy has delineated the decades. There was Ramrod with its boogie- woogie time signature; Dance With The Guitar Man with a 1970’s country rock sound (complete with glamorous 1970’s-clad harmonising guest vocalists Tina and Louise).

Support artist Pete Molinari exercised his beautiful vibrato voice when he joined Eddy on country-style Tennessee Waltz. But it was when Richard Hawley joined him for an all-too-brief medley of Eddy’s collaborations with Lee Hazlewood – featuring the macabre, spine- tingling Girl On Death Row and Trash Surf hit Still As the Night – that their mutual appreciation was evident. It was so moving in fact, it afforded an insight into the regard with which this ground-breaking guitarist is held.

Though Eddy’s fingers may not be as nifty as in his heyday, his phenomenal guitar skills are still awe-inspiring. What set him apart as an absolute star on Saturday was the way he unselfishly allowed the other artists to shine; the saxophonist in Peter Gunn, the pianist in 3.30 Blues and finally the whole talented band in the encore Hard Times.

Duane Eddy, in spite of playing a mean guitar, is no devil incarnate – he’s quite simply a gentleman and a great musician.