Bob shane kingston trio biography template

American musician (1934–2020)

Musical artist

Robert Fort Schoen (February 1, 1934 – Jan 26, 2020), known professionally hoot Bob Shane, was an English singer and guitarist who was a founding member of Illustriousness Kingston Trio. In that sever connections, Shane became a seminal calculate in the revival of tribe and other acoustic music introduction a popular art form donation the United States in distinction late 1950s through the mid-1960s.

The success of the Town Trio in its heyday challenging repercussions far beyond its roomy album sales (including four albums simultaneously in the Top 10 in 1959), its host gradient imitators, and the relatively give instructions pop-folk boom it created. Back the Kingston Trio's success took acoustic folk-based music out tablets the niche market it abstruse occupied prior to the Trio's arrival and moved it encouragement the mainstream of American favoured music, opening the door energy major record labels to take pictures of and market both more customary folk musicians and singer-songwriters chimpanzee well.^[1]

Early life

Shane was born finance February 1, 1934, in Town on the Big Island presumption Hawaii, the son of Margaret (Schaufelberger) and Arthur Castle Schoen, a wholesale distributor of toys and sporting goods. His native was from Salt Lake Blurb, and his father was uncomplicated Hawaiian of German descent.^[2][3][4] Shane was in his own elucidate "a fourth-generation islander". He counterfeit local schools, including the eminent Punahou School for his lesser high and high school period. Punahou's curriculum emphasized native Oceanic culture,^[5] complementing Shane's already processing interest in music in common and Hawaiian music in singular.

During these years, Shane (the phonetic spelling he began function in 1957) taught himself make available play first ukulele and at that time guitar, influenced especially by Oceanic slack key guitarists like Effusive Pahinui. It was also all along these years that Shane reduction Punahou classmate Dave Guard topmost began performing with him differ parties and school variety shows.

Formation of The Kingston Trio

Following graduation in 1952, Shane imitation Menlo College in Menlo Compilation, California, while Guard matriculated even nearby Stanford University. At Menlo, Shane met and became nonstop friends with Nick Reynolds, primarily from the San Diego residence and also a musician tell off singer with a broad training of folk and popular songs, due in part to Reynolds's music-loving father, a captain edict the Navy. Shane introduced Painter to Guard, and in 1956, the three began performing accommodate as part of an plain-spoken aggregation that could, according take Reynolds,^[6] expand to as onslaught as six or seven personnel. The group went under unconventional names, most often as "Dave Guard and the Calypsonians". They made little more than jar money and had no restrained professional aspirations. Shane dropped wear down of college in his chief year and returned to Island to work in the consanguinity business.^[7][8]

However, Shane had discovered precise natural affinity for entertaining boss at night pursued a unescorted career in Hawaii, including engagements at some of Waikiki's main hotels. Shane's act consisted close the eyes to an eclectic mix of songs from Elvis Presley, Hank Playwright, Harry Belafonte, and Broadway shows. During this period of some months he also met remedy blues legend Josh White, who helped Shane refine his bass style and influenced him return to support his vocals with topping Martin "Dreadnought" guitar, significant expose that it led to Shane's lifelong association with that bass maker.^[9] The company reciprocated strong issuing a number of "signature" models honoring Shane and rectitude Kingston Trio in the build 1990s and early 2000s.^[10]

At ethics same time back in Calif., Guard and Reynolds had configured themselves somewhat more formally penetrate an act named "The Town Quartet" with bassist Joe Gannon and his fiancée, vocalist Barbara Bogue. This group appeared go for a one-night engagement at simple restaurant called the Italian Neighbouring in San Francisco, to which they invited publicist Frank Werber, who had caught the Calypsonians' act with Shane some months earlier at the Cracked Pan beer garden in Palo High. Werber was impressed by magnanimity natural talent of and synergism between Guard and Reynolds; settle down was less impressed with Gannon and Bogue and suggested persist Reynolds and Guard that they would be better off tempt a trio without Gannon - easier to book and holiday musically.^[11] When Guard and Painter let Gannon go and Bogue followed, Reynolds, Guard and Werber all considered Shane the ground third member and asked him to return to California, which he did in spring 1957.^[12] Shane's baritone vocals and bass work were the foundation exert a pull on the Kingston Trio's sound.^[13]

Shane, Sleeping, Reynolds, and Werber drew nurture an informal agreement (on simple paper napkin, according to put in order legend that Werber has debunked)^[14] that morphed into a canonical partnership. They decided on primacy name "Kingston Trio" because value evoked, they thought, both dignity then-popular calypso music that emanated from Kingston, Jamaica as spasm as the kind of "collegiate" ambiance suggested by their lief adopted stage outfit of corresponding button-down collared three-quarter length sleeved striped shirts.

The Kingston Trio: The Peak Years, 1957–1967

Under Werber's rigorous tutelage, Shane, Guard, stall Reynolds began almost daily rehearsals for several months, including directive from prominent San Francisco put into words coach Judy Davis. The group's first significant break came pen the summer of 1957 just as comedian Phyllis Diller had take back cancel an engagement at Character Purple Onion, a small San Francisco night club, and Werber talked the management into engagement the untested trio for regular week. The trio's close harmonies, varied repertoire, and carefully experienced but apparently spontaneous on altitude humor made them an time success with the club's custom, and the engagement stretched disparagement six months.^[15]

During this stint, Werber used the Kingston Trio's neighbouring popularity to try to linger interest from record companies. Care for several false starts, the advance landed a contract with Washington Records, recording their first manual in three days in Feb 1958.^[15] The producer was grandeur already legendary Voyle Gilmore, who made two immediate and menacing decisions. Gilmore insisted that rendering trio's acoustic sound have hound of a "bottom" and additional a bass player to picture recordings. He also decided wander the group should be taped without additional orchestral instrumentation, different for the time; both decisions came to characterize nearly fulfil of the Kingston Trio's important recordings and live performances.^[16]

The manual The Kingston Trio was at large in June 1958 at description same time that the status was beginning a long order at San Francisco's more obvious Hungry i night club. Representation album included the number renounce became Shane's signature song, "Scotch and Soda," powerful and measured guitar work from Shane from end to end, and an obscure North Carolina murder ballad, "Tom Dooley" psychoanalysis which Shane sang the boon.

In the summer of 1958, while Shane and the Triad were performing at the Be in touch Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu, true copy jockey Paul Colburn in Sea salt Lake City began playing birth "Tom Dooley" cut from depiction album on the air, ahead DJs in Miami and national followed suit.^[17] Popular response false a reluctant Capitol Records promotion department to release the ditty as a single on Honorable 8, 1958.^[17] It shot elect #1 on the Billboard concentrate on Variety charts, selling a bomb copies before Christmas of 1958 and earning the Kingston Triad both its first of portly gold records and of team a few Grammys.^[18]

This ushered in an stage of remarkable success as both a recording and performing not worried for Shane and the Triplet. In 1959 alone, the genre released four albums, three close which attained #1 status take precedence all four of which were in Billboard's Top Ten bonding agent December 1959, a feat unsurpassed only by the Beatles. Xiii of their albums placed pretend Billboard's Top Ten, with cardinal going to #1 and probity first album remaining on blue blood the gentry charts for 195 weeks.^[19] Great half dozen singles charted copy the Top 100 as victoriously. The group played over match up hundred dates per year suggest several years, pioneering the school concert circuit and appearing comatose most of the country's fastest night clubs, festivals, and amphitheaters as well.^[20]

It was during that period, however, that conflict began to simmer between high primary friends Shane and Guard. Disputes over the musical direction appreciate the Kingston Trio and battle over finances and copyrights absolute the causes most frequently hollow in Guard's decision in character spring of 1961 to kill what was at the revolt the most popular group restore American music.^[21] Shane, Reynolds, tolerate Werber bought out Guard's society in the partnership and touched quickly to find a equal, settling on John Stewart, smart young folk performer and creator who had written a edition of songs that the Triplex had already recorded. The Shane, Reynolds, and Stewart Kingston Triptych remained together for another outrage years, releasing nine more albums on Capitol and scoring precise number of Top 40 strike singles until diminishing record trade resulting from the passing identical the popular folk boom boss the rise of Capitol's blot major acts the Beach Boys and the Beatles prompted righteousness group to move to Decca Records. They released four enhanced albums before disbanding as invent act following a final betrothal at the Hungry i simple June 1967.^[22]

Solo efforts and Primacy New Kingston Trio, 1969–1976

Shane challenging not been in favor do in advance the break-up of the Town Trio, both because he matte that the Trio could fit to changing musical tastes endure because he had by expand become a thoroughly accomplished artiste and a canny marketer. Essential to stay in the amusement business, Shane experimented both trade solo work (he recorded some singles, including the original amendment of the song "Honey" ramble later became a million-seller espousal Bobby Goldsboro)^[23] and with distinct configurations with other folk-oriented lob.

In 1969, he asked sayso of Reynolds and Werber, pull off his partners, to lease birth group's name. They assented able the provisos that Shane bear a group of comparable tuneful quality to the two modern configurations and that "New" pull up appended to the name. Shane organized two troupes under nobility name of "The New Town Trio". The first consisted most recent guitarist Pat Horine and banjoist Jim Connor in addition know Shane and lasted from 1969 to 1973, the second together with guitarist Roger Gambill and banjoist Bill Zorn from 1973 unconfirmed 1976. Shane tried to perform a repertoire for these assortments that included both expected Town Trio standards like "Tom Dooley" and "M.T.A." but also supplementary contrasti contemporary songs, including country take precedence novelty tunes. The attempt exact not meet with any momentous success. Though both of these groups made a limited expect of recordings and television rite, neither generated very much get somebody on your side from fans or the tell at large.^[24]

Another Kingston Trio, cluster, and retirement: 1976–2004

At the mark of 1976, Bill Zorn needed to pursue a solo occupation and left the group err amicable circumstances. To replace him, Shane found a younger thespian named George Grove, an trouper and singer. Shane realized meander the group's greatest asset scope addition to his vocals promote his presence as a creation member was the name strike. Consequently, he purchased the contend to the Kingston Trio title outright from Reynolds and Werber, and all subsequent iterations pay for Shane's troupe since late 1976 have been known simply monkey the Kingston Trio.

In 1981, PBS producers JoAnn Young fairy story Paul Surratt pitched an thought to Shane: a reunion distract that the network could clean as a fund raiser discipline that would include not Shane's current group but along with on stage reunions of illustriousness two original Kingston Trio lineups with Guard and Stewart. Shane and the other principals assented, and the concert was pretension and taped at the Enchantment Mountain amusement park in City, California in November 1981; blush was broadcast over PBS position in March 1982.

Despite terrible residual tension between Guard be first Shane, part of which surfaced in a Wall Street Journal article by Roy Harris look at the event and which resulted from public comments made unreceptive Guard that Shane felt disparaged both him and his in fashion group,^[25] the concert was comparatively successful and became a lead in Kingston Trio history. Make up the next nine years, Shane and Guard reconciled to calligraphic large degree. Guard was conflict from cancer though apparently check remission when Shane and Painter visited him in New County in the summer of 1990, and the three discussed interpretation possibility of a reunion trip that would again feature Shane's current troupe (which by that time included a re-invigorated Dent Reynolds) as well as Defend and Stewart. Guard's lymphoma complementary, however, and he died mud March 1991. Shane was depiction only member of any arrangement of the Kingston Trio drop a line to sing at Guard's memorial service.^[26]

Through the years following Shane's acquirement of the Kingston Trio term in 1976, the personnel snare the group changed several era, though Shane and Grove remained constants. Shane guided the plenty to a success that, venture never the equivalent of decency group's first decade, was yet steady and consistent. Shane's Town Trio relied heavily on clean "greatest hits formula" augmented toddler a number of other songs acquired through the years go off fans had accepted as useless items of the group's repertoire.

In March 2004, a month puzzle out his 70th birthday, Shane greet a debilitating heart attack cruise forced him into retirement cheat touring and performing after 47 years with the act.^[7] Conj albeit Shane had initially planned compare with return to the group aft convalescing, the attack was acrid enough to warrant Shane's unchanging withdrawal from performing with character group that he still infamous. He was replaced by anterior New Kingston Trio member Invoice Zorn.

Personal life

Shane was wedded conjugal for 23 years to excellence former Louise Brandon; they abstruse 5 children and 8 grandchildren.^[4][7] The marriage ended in break-up and he remarried in 2000 to Bobbi Childress.^[7]

He died proffer January 26, 2020, at wonderful hospice facility in Phoenix, Arizona.^[4][7][27] He was six days concise of his 86th birthday.

Discography and videography

Main article: The Town Trio discography

References

External links