Del Shannon

Del Shannon was a pin-up pop idol in the sixties, but one with a rare and special vocal talent, a falsetto with an incredible range. His hit single Runaway tended to overshadow much of his other work, including his influential guitar playing and fine songwriting. His sound was a clear influence for 'Merseybeat' artists who invaded the US in the early sixties.

Despite his commercial success, Shannon was frustrated musically and began more experimentation in his records during the psychedelic era. This was to meet with much critical acclaim, but little commercial success.

The seventies saw Shannon battle with alcoholism, and while he was involved with a few projects with high profile artists such as Tom Petty in later years he never truly recovered his verve. On February 8 1990 Del Shannon took his own life with a rifle.

Del Shannon

Home & Away Del Shannon £8.99