Shawn grew up in the Canadian prairie towns of Oxbow & Carlyle, Saskatchewan
(Carlyle population: 1200, graduating class: 12)
...what else was there to do but learn to play some instruments & listen to music?
(one shot in the shins with a frozen hockey puck, and he didn't pursue that past-time!)
Self taught in guitar, bass, piano, drums, banjo, harmonica, and vocals,
he also finds time to handle the group's management duties.
He started performing live a few days after graduating high school and after 1½ years
as a radio announcer, began full-time touring and has kept busy entertaining over
most of Canada and the USA ever since.
He has written approx. 80 songs since he began songwriting.
Coming from a musical family, the influences of '50s & '60s music is evident in his writing & performing.
Having performed rock, oldies, and country...
he likes to perform a bit of it all when they play live.
He frequently gets asked about his different guitar tuning - so here it is.
He also keeps busy operating an internet oldies station & record label, Super Oldies.
Along with & his '91 Fender Tele-Plus Deluxe, and '81 Carvin double-neck guitars,
he's guaranteed to bring some fun music your way soon!
25 QUESTIONS WITH SHAWN
| BIRTHDATE & PLACE | February 25 - Regina, Saskatchewan (Canada) |
| FIRST GIG | July 9, 1988 - Sidewalk Sale Days - Carlyle, Sask. |
| WHAT AGE YOU STARTED PLAYING | singing in womb (ha ha), piano at 8, guitar at 10, full time at 18 |
| LESSONS OR NATURAL | 3 yrs piano lessons, now by ear - self taught on guitar & other instr. |
| GROUPS/MUSICIANS THAT INFLUENCED YOU | The usual - Ventures, Elvis, Beatles, Buddy Holly, CCR, etc. |
| FAVORITE MUSIC ARTISTS | America, Blue Shadows, LeRoi Brothers, Stampeders, Everly Brothers, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Johnny Rivers, The Paladins, CCR, and Acoustic Alchemy are among the fav's. |
| BEST CONCERT YOU'VE SEEN | The Blue Shadows - (Fabulous Thunderbirds were good too) |
| FAVORITE PLACE TO PERFORM | Forbes, MN is usually a blast (a fun, yet responsible crowd) |
| A FEW FAVORITE SONGS | gheez, that changes daily...that's a toughy. Hmm. "Never Be Lonely" by America has always been a favorite. |
| FIRST ALBUM YOU BOUGHT | "Meet The Beatles" when I was 11 |
| WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME | exercise, watch movies, cook, not much spare time! |
| PET PEEVES | Oh, there's lots...people that don't return calls really ticks me, people on cellphones, bad spelling & grammar (since when did "ask" become "axe"?) |
| FAVORITE FOOD/ DRINK | Chinese, barbeque, gyros, Ukrainian / Chi-Chi, loaded Bloody Mary |
| BAD HABITS | I don't take too much seriously, and regardless of what you tell me, and for how long...I'm going to do it my way anyway. |
| FAVORITE SPORT | pro wrestling for 25 years...I know, I know. Nothing else. |
| FAVORITE CANDY | caramel anything, licorice, gummies+++ I have a sweet tooth |
| FAVORITE MOVIES | The Party (Peter Sellers), Nutty Professor (Jerry Lewis), Night Of The Living Dead (original), Napolean Dynamite, Shanghai Noon |
| LAST BOOK YOU'VE READ | I don't read, I just look at the pictures..."American Drive-In Theatres" |
| BEST DISH YOU CAN COOK | my fettucine, stuffed mushrooms, and barbeque are somewhat edible - I think? No one has gone to the hospital...yet. |
| FOODS YOU HATE | Beets, turnips, cooked vegetables, yams, liver, Mexican, spam |
| MUSIC YOU DISLIKE | opera, rap/hip hop, new country, folk, freestyle jazz, slow blues, whiny alternative stuff. |
| WORST JOB YOU'VE HAD | I worked at McDonalds...for two days |
| WORST GIG EXPERIENCES | being sick but playing anyway, not getting paid, some of the band members were no treat, poor sound men, lying agents, burnt out bar owners - I think every musician gets & hates these! |
| THINGS YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT PERFORMING | creating a fun atmosphere with good music, having people make a point to come out to see us...and it sure beats 9-5. The energy...gheez, sometimes after a fun gig I don't sleep for a few days. The touring/traveling experiences are irreplaceable. |
| THINGS YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT PERFORMING | smoke (cough), loud & mouthy drunks, poor travel conditions, booking gigs, karaoke "stars" that think they are musicians. I am truly sick of "Mustang Sally" & "Brown Eyed Girl"...come on people! |
| IF YOU COULD START OVER (playing music), WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE | came to US sooner, got a new vehicle (truck) earlier, purchase equipment instead of rent, not racked up such big phone bills, AVOID a few agents, a few hairdos, and a few women |