Shannon (American singer) facts for kids

Brenda Shannon Greene (born May 2, 1958), known as Shannon, is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for her freestyle and dance-pop music.

Shannon is best known for her hit song "Let the Music Play." This song was a huge success, reaching number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in 1983. It even earned a gold certification, meaning it sold a lot of copies!

Her main albums include Let the Music Play (1984), Do You Wanna Get Away (1985), and Love Goes All the Way (1986). Shannon also appeared on VH1's One-Hit Wonders show in 1999. She later released more albums, like The Best Is Yet to Come (2000) and A Beauty Returns (2006).

Shannon's Music Journey

Shannon was born in Washington, D.C., in the United States. In 1983, she was studying at York College in New York City. She also toured with a group called the New York Jazz Ensemble.

One day, a person named Quintin Hicks saw Shannon singing in a recording studio. He introduced her to the music producers Mark Liggett and Chris Barbosa. Shannon sang for them, and they showed her a song that would become "Let the Music Play." This song had a special sound, which people later called "the Shannon Sound" or "freestyle" music.

The Hit Song: Let the Music Play

In July 1983, "Let the Music Play" was released. It quickly became very popular! The song reached number 8 on the main Billboard chart. It also hit number 2 on the R&B charts and number 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play charts. It was even ranked among Billboards top 100 songs of 1984. Later, it was named one of Billboards best dance songs of all time.

Her first album, also called Let the Music Play, came out in February 1984. Another song from the album, "Give Me Tonight," also did very well. It reached number two on the R&B charts and number one on the Hot Dance Club Play charts.

Shannon's first album, Let the Music Play, sold about 1.5 million copies worldwide. Half a million of those were sold in the United States, earning it a gold certification. Shannon was even nominated for a Grammy Award! She also won other awards, like the Dinah Washington Award and the Hall of Fame Award.

Later Albums and Performances

In 1985, Shannon released her second album, Do You Wanna Get Away. The main song from this album, "Do You Wanna Get Away," also reached number 1 on the Dance Chart. She had more dance hits, including "Stronger Together" and a cover of "Urgent" by Foreigner.

Her third album, Love Goes All the Way, was released in 1986. After this, Shannon decided to leave her record company, Atlantic Records, in 1987. She then recorded songs for movie soundtracks and commercials. She also toured around the world and studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

In the late 1990s, Shannon worked with other artists and producers. Her song "Move Mania" with Sash! became a dance hit in Europe. In 1999, she was featured on VH1's One-Hit Wonders show.

Shannon's fourth album, The Best Is Yet to Come, was released in 2000. She helped write half of the songs on this album. This album brought her back to the Billboard Music Charts in the early 2000s. She later released a collection of her best songs called Let the Music Play: The Best of Shannon in 2004.

In 2006, Shannon released her fifth album, A Beauty Returns. Today, Shannon is a voting member of the Grammy's (Recording Academy). She still performs shows around the world. In 2017, she was a contestant on the Fox game show Beat Shazam.

Personal Life

Shannon has never married and does not have any children.

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

• Part Time Lovers (1991)
• The Collection (1994)
• The Ultimate Collection (1994)
• Dancefloor Artists Volume 8 – The Best of Shannon (1995)
• The Collection (reissue) (2001)
• Let the Music Play: The Best of Shannon (2004)

Singles

Featured Singles

See also

In Spanish: Shannon (cantante) para niños

• List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart