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

charlene · 06-14-2008, 09:10 AM

http://www.georginaadvocate.com/News.../article/76731

Red Shea one of Canada’s top guitar pickers
Aurora
Jun 14, 2008 10:30 PM

By: Simone Joseph

Aurora resident Laurice Milton Shea was a talented guitar player who had a great sense of humour and became a Jehovah’s Witness several years ago.

Mr. Shea died Tuesday in Aurora of pancreatic cancer. He was 70.

Mr. Shea moved to Aurora in 1968.

“Red” Shea played lead guitar with Gordon Lightfoot and later performed with Ian and Sylvia Tyson.

He was one of the top guitar pickers in the Canadian music industry, according to jazz pianist Norman Amadio.

Mr. Amadio met Mr. Shea in the 1960s when the two played in the house band of the TV show Music Hop, an after-school program of rock ’n’ roll and pop that aired on the CBC.

The musician’s natural talent was obvious, Mr. Amadio said.

“He could pick up (music) quickly. He was a good sight reader.”

Mr. Shea also had a great sense of humour, he said.

Someone would say, “Wow, your guitar sounds great.” Mr. Shea would rest the guitar in a chair and say, “How does it sound now?” Mr. Anadio said.

Markham resident and singer/pianist Rhonda Silver remembers being impressed by Mr. Shea’s personality. She was in a vocal trio, the Girlfriends that performed on the TV show Music Hop in the late ’60s at the same time as Mr. Shea performed on the show.

“He was a great guy. Very cheerful. I have not seen him since I was a teenager,” she said.

Dale Russell, lead guitarist for The Guess Who from 1983 to 2000, lamented what he believes was a lack of recognition of Mr. Shea’s talent.

“He was such a good player that perhaps he deserved more recognition. It is the nature of the business. In a rock band, the lead singer gets all the attention.”

Mr. Shea had a natural music ability, Mr. Russell said. He was a good, intuitive player, meaning he played more by feeling than thinking about what he was playing, he said.

While Mr. Russell never met Mr. Shea, he did see Mr. Shea play as part of Gordon Lightfoot’s band in a Winnipeg concert more than 20 years ago. Mr. Shea was mentioned in a Guess Who song called Lightfoot, but this was well before Mr. Russell joined the band.

Mr. Russell is hopeful Mr. Shea’s death will finally bring the musician the recognition he deserves.

“I would like to think people live on in their art. Maybe the old adage that people become more well-known when they pass on (is true). Maybe young people will look to do research and learn about him.”

According to one of Mr. Shea’s sons, the guitar player became a Jehovah’s Witness a few years ago. The musician was an intensely private man and the media attention his death has brought was “the last thing he would have wanted,” he said, speaking from Mr. Shea’s Aurora home Thursday evening.

Visitation was at Thompson Funeral Home in Aurora Thursday. A memorial service was held at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses on Bloomington Sideroad in Aurora Friday.

Mr. Shea is survived by his wife, Lynn (née Claremont), three children and four grandchildren.

Some of Red’s accomplishments
• Formed the Red and Les Trio in the late 1950s, alongside his brother Les Shea and bassist Bill Gibbs. The trio played on musical variety show Country Hoedown, which launched in 1956 on the CBC.
• First met Mr. Lightfoot on the show Country Hoedown and began playing lead guitar in The Lightfoot Band in 1965.
• Left The Lightfoot Band in 1971 and returned briefly in 1975.
• Replaced guitarist David Wilcox in 1972 in Great Speckled Bird, the country rock band that Ian and Sylvia Tyson formed in 1969.
• Played with The Good Brothers.

06-14-2008, 09:10 AM	#42
charlene Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 16,004	Re: Red Shea http://www.georginaadvocate.com/News.../article/76731 Red Shea one of Canada’s top guitar pickers Aurora Jun 14, 2008 10:30 PM By: Simone Joseph Aurora resident Laurice Milton Shea was a talented guitar player who had a great sense of humour and became a Jehovah’s Witness several years ago. Mr. Shea died Tuesday in Aurora of pancreatic cancer. He was 70. Mr. Shea moved to Aurora in 1968. “Red” Shea played lead guitar with Gordon Lightfoot and later performed with Ian and Sylvia Tyson. He was one of the top guitar pickers in the Canadian music industry, according to jazz pianist Norman Amadio. Mr. Amadio met Mr. Shea in the 1960s when the two played in the house band of the TV show Music Hop, an after-school program of rock ’n’ roll and pop that aired on the CBC. The musician’s natural talent was obvious, Mr. Amadio said. “He could pick up (music) quickly. He was a good sight reader.” Mr. Shea also had a great sense of humour, he said. Someone would say, “Wow, your guitar sounds great.” Mr. Shea would rest the guitar in a chair and say, “How does it sound now?” Mr. Anadio said. Markham resident and singer/pianist Rhonda Silver remembers being impressed by Mr. Shea’s personality. She was in a vocal trio, the Girlfriends that performed on the TV show Music Hop in the late ’60s at the same time as Mr. Shea performed on the show. “He was a great guy. Very cheerful. I have not seen him since I was a teenager,” she said. Dale Russell, lead guitarist for The Guess Who from 1983 to 2000, lamented what he believes was a lack of recognition of Mr. Shea’s talent. “He was such a good player that perhaps he deserved more recognition. It is the nature of the business. In a rock band, the lead singer gets all the attention.” Mr. Shea had a natural music ability, Mr. Russell said. He was a good, intuitive player, meaning he played more by feeling than thinking about what he was playing, he said. While Mr. Russell never met Mr. Shea, he did see Mr. Shea play as part of Gordon Lightfoot’s band in a Winnipeg concert more than 20 years ago. Mr. Shea was mentioned in a Guess Who song called Lightfoot, but this was well before Mr. Russell joined the band. Mr. Russell is hopeful Mr. Shea’s death will finally bring the musician the recognition he deserves. “I would like to think people live on in their art. Maybe the old adage that people become more well-known when they pass on (is true). Maybe young people will look to do research and learn about him.” According to one of Mr. Shea’s sons, the guitar player became a Jehovah’s Witness a few years ago. The musician was an intensely private man and the media attention his death has brought was “the last thing he would have wanted,” he said, speaking from Mr. Shea’s Aurora home Thursday evening. Visitation was at Thompson Funeral Home in Aurora Thursday. A memorial service was held at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses on Bloomington Sideroad in Aurora Friday. Mr. Shea is survived by his wife, Lynn (née Claremont), three children and four grandchildren. Some of Red’s accomplishments • Formed the Red and Les Trio in the late 1950s, alongside his brother Les Shea and bassist Bill Gibbs. The trio played on musical variety show Country Hoedown, which launched in 1956 on the CBC. • First met Mr. Lightfoot on the show Country Hoedown and began playing lead guitar in The Lightfoot Band in 1965. • Left The Lightfoot Band in 1971 and returned briefly in 1975. • Replaced guitarist David Wilcox in 1972 in Great Speckled Bird, the country rock band that Ian and Sylvia Tyson formed in 1969. • Played with The Good Brothers.