Preston Shannon
| Preston Shannon | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 23, 1947 Olive Branch, Mississippi, United States |
| Origin | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Electric blues, soul blues[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Website | Official website |
Preston Shannon (born October 23, 1947)[2] is an American electric blues and soul blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.[1]
Allmusic noted that "Shannon's speciality is a blend of Southern-fried soul and blues, and his albums and live shows - always with a horn section - are an eclectic mix of danceable, grooving tunes and slow, soulful ballads".[1] Amongst the songs he has written are "Beale Street Boogaloo" and "Midnight in Memphis".[3]
Life and career
He was born in Olive Branch, Mississippi, United States. He relocated with his family to Memphis, Tennessee at the age of eight. Despite initial misgiving from his Pentecostal parents, Shannon developed an interest in the blues and played part-time with several local bands, whilst his daytime occupation was with a hardware firm. He began a full-time musical career when he secured a spot in Shirley Brown's backing ensemble.[1]
In 1993, his own Preston Shannon Band played at the Long Beach Blues Festival in Long Beach, California. After being spotted leading his own band in Memphis' Beale Street clubs, he signed to Rounder Records subsidiary, Bullseye Blues, and released his debut solo effort, Break the Ice in 1994. Then followed the Willie Mitchell produced efforts, Midnight in Memphis (1996) and All in Time (1999).[1] However, with no immediate follow-up available, Preston lost momentum.[4]
After moving to Title Tunes, he released Be with Me Tonight (2006).[1]
Shannon played at Memphis in May in both 2008 and 2011. In February 2012, Shannon appeared on season two of The Voice, singing "In the Midnight Hour".
Nowadays, he is a regular performer at B.B. King's Blues Club in Memphis.[5] Shannon's most recent album release was Dust My Broom (2014).[6]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Break the Ice | Bullseye Blues |
| 1996 | Midnight in Memphis | Bullseye Blues |
| 1999 | All in Time | Bullseye Blues |
| 2006 | Be with Me Tonight | Title Tunes |
| 2011 | Goin' Back to Memphis | Continental Blue Heaven |
| 2014 | Dust My Broom | Continental Blue Heaven |
Singles
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Tired of the Ghetto Bringing Me Down" | Bullseye Blues |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Richard Skelly. "Preston Shannon". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
- ↑ LeBlanc, Eric S.; Eagle, Bob (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience (1st ed.). Santa Barbara, California, United States: Praeger. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-313-34423-7.
- ↑ "Preston Shannon: Songs". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
- ↑ "Preston Shannon". Soulbluesmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
- ↑ "Shannon Show Dates". Prestonshannon.com. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
- 1 2 "Preston Shannon Discography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
- ↑ "Preston Shannon : Singles". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-07-05.