Kenny Shields
BornOctober 24, 1947
Nokomis, Saskatchewan, Canada
DiedJuly 21, 2017(2017-07-21) (aged 69)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
GenresRock music
Occupation(s)Musician

Kenny Shields (October 24, 1947—July 21, 2017) was a Canadian musician and the lead singer of rock band Streetheart, known for singing various hits, including "Action," "Hollywood," "Look in Your Eyes," "What Kind of Love Is This," and a cover of The Rolling Stones classic "Under My Thumb."

Early life

Shields was born and spent his youth in Nokomis, Saskatchewan, a small farming community.[1][2] He developed an interest in music early in his life, enrolling in an amateur talent show at six years old.[1]

Early career

Shields moved to Saskatoon to attend the University of Saskatchewan and joined the local band Witness Incorporated. The band started touring the country, opening for Roy Orbison and Cream. His career was sidetracked in 1970 when he was critically injured in a car accident.[1]

Shields returned to music in 1975 and moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, following the dissolution of Witness Incorporated.[1] He began performing with local musicians and soon formed the band that would become Streetheart.[3] The band became a success in Canada, frequently playing cities across the country and recording six studio albums and one double-disc live album. Their more popular tour mates would include AC/DC, Styx and Max Webster.

Later career and death

After the original Streetheart lineup dissolved, with two of them leaving to form Loverboy, Shields would continue to tour as the Kenny Shields Band throughout the 1980s.[1] He would reunite with some of the original group in the late 1990s to play festival shows.

In 2017, Shields was forced to back out of the band's 40th anniversary tour when he became disoriented and confused during a Canada Day concert in Sherwood Park, Alta.[1] He had undergone an emergency surgery and a combination of health problems led to the band cancelling its 40th anniversary tour.

Shields died at St. Boniface General Hospital in Winnipeg.[4] Band mate Jeff Neill, via the band's Facebook page, confirmed on July 21, 2017, that Shields died that morning.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Friend, David (July 21, 2017). "Streetheart lead singer Kenny Shields dies". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. Retrieved Aug 6, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Elkhorn student signs recording contract". Shoal Lake Crossroads. Newspaper Archive. June 14, 2013. p. 4.
  3. ↑ "Streetheart lead singer, Saskatchewan native Kenny Shields dead". Regina Leader-Post. The Canadian Press. July 21, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  4. ↑ "'He was magic': Canadian rock legend Kenny Shields dies". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  5. ↑ "Canadian rock 'n' roll legend Kenny Shields passes away". Global News. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
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