Featured In
ALBUMRunaway (Party Version) - SingleDel Shannon
Albums by Del Shannon
ALBUMThe Dublin SessionsDel Shannon
ALBUMSingles FileDel Shannon
ALBUMRunawayDel Shannon
ALBUMHome and AwayDel Shannon
ALBUMDel Shannon Rare Tracks & Demos Volume 2Del Shannon
ALBUMDel Shannon Rare Tracks & Demos Volume 1Del Shannon
ALBUMSongs of Del ShannonDel Shannon
ALBUMThe Great Del ShannonDel Shannon
ALBUM20 GreatsDel Shannon
ALBUMRock On!Del Shannon
Artist Playlists
Del Shannon Essentials
The man who brought mystery and suspense to rock 'n' roll.
Artist Biography
Rendering stormy teen melodramas as compact, hummable vignettes, Del Shannon influenced generations of rock romantics from the 1960s onwards. Born Charles Westover in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1934, he adopted his stage name just before debuting with 1961’s chart-topping “Runaway.” That song’s scenery-chewing chorus—complete with askew spike of falsetto—perfectly captured youthful anguish, while the same year’s follow-up “Hats off to Larry” similarly evoked heartache with counterintuitive chirpiness. Shannon later covered classic country tunes and British Invasion hits before attempting Beatles- and Beach Boys-style psychedelic pop ambition, most notably on 1968’s The Further Adventures of Charles Westover. Even when his output slowed, Shannon reliably found fans in younger artists: Tom Petty produced 1981’s Heartbreakers-backed Drop Down and Get Me, and Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne co-produced 1991’s Rock On!, released after Shannon’s death a year prior.
Hometown
Grand Rapids, MI, United States
Genre
Rock