Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Red Shea has died-June 2008

charlene · 06-12-2008, 10:53 AM

http://themusicsover.wordpress.com/

RIP Red Shea (June 10, 2008) Canadian Guitarist Played With Gordon Lightfoot
Posted by themusicsover on June 11, 2008

Red Shea
1938(?) - June 10, 2008

fyimusic.ca is reporting that Canadian guitar wizard, Red Shea as died:

One of Canada’s most respected guitarists, Red Shea’s inventive and often times complex finger picking held many fellow guitarists in awe. His contributions to the met as a member of the [Gordon] Lightfoot “sound” have been a source of discussion in music circles for years, many arguing that his departure from the band altered the melodic structure and fluid ensemble performance that characterized much of Lightfoot’s best work. The highly respected dobro player and guitarist passed away Tuesday, June 10, at the age of 70 of pancreatic cancer. Red first came to prominence with “Moon Boogie Twist”, an early and long out-of-print Canadian rock classic. He joined CBC TV show Music Hop in the early ‘60s, an after-school show modeled after Dick Clark’s sanitized American Bandstand. Staff announcer Alex Trebek, who also worked as the quizmaster on Reach For The Top, presided over the show (and would be replaced by an up-start disc jockey by the name of Dave Mickie). The house band was Norm Amadio and the Rhythm Rockers, comprised of Norman Amadio on piano, John Stockfish on bass, Red Shea on guitar, Don Thompson on tenor saxophone, and Alex Lazaroff on drums. Shea, with a pompadour and duck’s-ass haircut had a James Dean/juvenile delinquent look someone once said. Music Hop, originated in the period of the girl group, featured its own vocal trio, the Girlfriends, who were Diane Miller, Rhonda Silver, and Stephanie Taylor. Not long after their Music Hop gig, Shea and Stockfish took up jobs as Gordon Lightfoot’s regular backup musicians. From 1965-1970 Shea was in the famed trio that cut several timeless albums for United Artists and went on to record with Lightfoot during his even more celebrated Reprise Records era. Shea left the touring band in 1970, but continued to record with Lightfoot until 1975. He hosted his own Canadian variety show, played with Ian Tyson, and became band leader for Tommy Hunter’s TV show in the 1980s on CBC. Lightfoot met Red Shea in 1960 while they both worked on the CBC country series, Country Hoedown, LightfootSingin’ Swingin’ Eight and Shea as a member of the Red & Les Trio. The trio was made up of Red, his brother Les and bassist Bill Gibbs.

06-12-2008, 10:53 AM	#32
charlene Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 16,001	Re: Red Shea http://themusicsover.wordpress.com/ RIP Red Shea (June 10, 2008) Canadian Guitarist Played With Gordon Lightfoot Posted by themusicsover on June 11, 2008 Red Shea 1938(?) - June 10, 2008 fyimusic.ca is reporting that Canadian guitar wizard, Red Shea as died: One of Canada’s most respected guitarists, Red Shea’s inventive and often times complex finger picking held many fellow guitarists in awe. His contributions to the met as a member of the [Gordon] Lightfoot “sound” have been a source of discussion in music circles for years, many arguing that his departure from the band altered the melodic structure and fluid ensemble performance that characterized much of Lightfoot’s best work. The highly respected dobro player and guitarist passed away Tuesday, June 10, at the age of 70 of pancreatic cancer. Red first came to prominence with “Moon Boogie Twist”, an early and long out-of-print Canadian rock classic. He joined CBC TV show Music Hop in the early ‘60s, an after-school show modeled after Dick Clark’s sanitized American Bandstand. Staff announcer Alex Trebek, who also worked as the quizmaster on Reach For The Top, presided over the show (and would be replaced by an up-start disc jockey by the name of Dave Mickie). The house band was Norm Amadio and the Rhythm Rockers, comprised of Norman Amadio on piano, John Stockfish on bass, Red Shea on guitar, Don Thompson on tenor saxophone, and Alex Lazaroff on drums. Shea, with a pompadour and duck’s-ass haircut had a James Dean/juvenile delinquent look someone once said. Music Hop, originated in the period of the girl group, featured its own vocal trio, the Girlfriends, who were Diane Miller, Rhonda Silver, and Stephanie Taylor. Not long after their Music Hop gig, Shea and Stockfish took up jobs as Gordon Lightfoot’s regular backup musicians. From 1965-1970 Shea was in the famed trio that cut several timeless albums for United Artists and went on to record with Lightfoot during his even more celebrated Reprise Records era. Shea left the touring band in 1970, but continued to record with Lightfoot until 1975. He hosted his own Canadian variety show, played with Ian Tyson, and became band leader for Tommy Hunter’s TV show in the 1980s on CBC. Lightfoot met Red Shea in 1960 while they both worked on the CBC country series, Country Hoedown, LightfootSingin’ Swingin’ Eight and Shea as a member of the Red & Les Trio. The trio was made up of Red, his brother Les and bassist Bill Gibbs.