Shannon Hoon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shannon Hoon
|
|
|---|---|
Shannon Hoon performing with Blind Melon in 1994
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard Shannon Hoon |
| Born | September 26, 1967 Lafayette, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 21, 1995 (aged 28) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1985–1995 |
| Labels | Capitol |
Richard Shannon Hoon (born September 26, 1967 – died October 21, 1995) was a talented American singer and musician. He was best known as the lead singer for the band Blind Melon from 1990 until he passed away in 1995.
Contents
Shannon's Early Life
Shannon Hoon was born on September 26, 1967, in Lafayette, Indiana. He grew up in a nearby town called Dayton, Indiana. He had an older half-sister, Anna, and an older half-brother, Tim. His father, Dick Hoon, worked as a bricklayer, and his mother, Nel Hoon, managed a bar.
In high school, Shannon was active in sports. He played football, wrestled, and was a pole vaulter. Shannon loved music from artists like the Grateful Dead, The Beatles, John Lennon, and Bob Dylan. After finishing McCutcheon High School in 1985, he joined a local band called Styff Kytten. He was the lead singer for this band. Around this time, he wrote his very first song, which he named "Change."
Forming the Band Blind Melon
In 1990, Shannon Hoon moved from Indiana to Los Angeles to pursue music. There, he met musicians Brad Smith and Rogers Stevens at a party. They heard Shannon sing his song "Change" with just his guitar and invited him to play music with them. Soon after, Christopher Thorn and Glen Graham joined them. By 1990, these five musicians decided to form a band called Blind Melon.
The new band quickly made a four-song demo tape. This led to them signing a big recording contract with Capitol Records.
Shannon's Work with Guns N' Roses
While in Los Angeles, Shannon became friends with Axl Rose, who was a high school friend of Shannon's sister, Anna. Axl Rose invited Shannon to the studio where his band, Guns N' Roses, was recording their albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. Shannon sang backing vocals on several songs, including "The Garden" and "Don't Cry". He also appeared in the music video for "Don't Cry."
Blind Melon's Success
In 1992, Blind Melon released their first album, Blind Melon. It was produced by Rick Parashar, who also worked with Pearl Jam. Blind Melon then started touring to share their music. They opened for famous bands like Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N' Roses, and Soundgarden in 1992 and 1993.
In the summer of 1993, the music video for their song "No Rain" became very popular. The video showed a young girl, played by Heather DeLoach, in a bee costume. She was tap dancing for people who didn't seem to appreciate her. The song and video helped the Blind Melon album sell millions of copies.
After a break from touring, Blind Melon went back to the studio. They recorded their next album, Soup, in New Orleans. This album was released in 1995.
Shannon's Family and Passing
In June 1995, Shannon Hoon spent a month getting help for his health. On July 11, 1995, Shannon and his girlfriend, Lisa Crouse, welcomed their daughter, Nico Blue.
In August, Blind Melon started a tour to support their new album, Soup. A helper was hired to travel with Shannon on the tour. However, this person left after the first week.
On October 21, 1995, Shannon Hoon passed away in New Orleans at the age of 28. He was buried at Dayton Cemetery in Dayton, Indiana. His grave has a line from Blind Melon's song "Change," which was the first song he ever wrote:
I know we can't all stay here forever
So I want to write my words on the face of today and they'll paint it
Blind Melon's Legacy
On November 12, 1996, Blind Melon released their last album with Shannon's vocals, called Nico. This album was a tribute to Shannon, and all the money from it went to his daughter. The band also released a video called "Letters from a Porcupine." It was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1997.
Blind Melon continued for four years after Shannon's passing. The remaining members wanted to keep the band going to honor him. They held auditions to find a new singer, but they never found a permanent replacement. Blind Melon officially broke up in 1999. Years later, in 2006, the surviving members of Blind Melon reformed the band with Travis Warren as the new singer.
Remembering Shannon Hoon
Many books and films have been made to remember Shannon Hoon and his music.
- On September 17, 2008, a book called A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon by Greg Prato was published.
- On September 15, 2018, photos of Shannon's last performance with Blind Melon were shared for the first time. A fan named Zak Joshua Rose took these pictures in Houston on October 20, 1995, the day before Shannon passed away.
- A documentary film about Shannon, called All I Can Say, was released. It mostly uses videos Shannon himself filmed with a handheld camera from 1990 to 1995. The film first showed at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2019. It became available online on June 26, 2020, and on DVD and Blu-ray on November 24, 2020. Shannon was even given credit as a "director" for the film.
- On November 1, 2021, author Greg Prato released another book about Shannon, simply titled Shannon. This book included new interviews with people who knew Shannon or admired his music.
Many other musicians have mentioned Shannon Hoon in their songs or written songs inspired by him. These include Dream Theater, Sun Kil Moon, The Avett Brothers, Zakk Wylde, The Used, and Econoline Crush. A Scottish music group, active from 1998 to 2002, even named themselves "The Sempiternal Hoon" to honor Shannon's influence on their sound.
Images for kids
-
Shannon Hoon performing with Blind Melon in 1994
See also
In Spanish: Shannon Hoon para niños
