Shawn Lane

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Shawn Lane

Shawn Lane (born March 21, 1963 in Memphis , Tennessee , † September 26, 2003 ) was an American musician.

He was a well-known rock and fusion guitarist. At the age of 4 he began to be interested in music, played the cello in school and took piano lessons. He started playing guitar at the age of 10 and made great strides very quickly. At the age of 12 he was already playing in local clubs. At the age of 15 he was considered a "guitar prodigy" and was well known in the local scene. By participating in an audition in 1978, he became the new guitarist of the band Black Oak Arkansas, known in the south of the USA, and played numerous concerts with this band. After the band broke up in 1979 Lane played in various bands until Black Oak Arkansas reunited with a new line-up. Again he toured with the band until he retired from her at the age of 18 to recover and focus on private studies in various fields. In the mid-1980s he achieved a high level of local awareness with the band "The Willys", a cover band in which his virtuoso solo skills were in the foreground. Many famous guitarists like Kirk Hammett and George Lynch saw Lane live with this band and were deeply impressed. During his time with The Willys, Lane also played as a studio musician for various artists, e. B. Joe Walsh , Sam And Dave, and Tony Joe White . In 1991 a demo tape from Lane reached the well-known record company Warner Brothers , which then signed Lane. In the same year he played on the "Centrifugal Funk" album with Frank Gambale and Brett Garsed.

He spent the next two years working on his first solo album, which he released in 1992 under the title "Powers Of Ten". He then went on tour through the United States. This tour was featured on the 2001 live album "Powers Of Ten: Live".

In 1994 he played for the first time with the exceptional Swedish bassist Jonas Hellborg . In the following years they released various fusion albums with drummers like Kofi Baker and Jeff Sipe, such as B. “Time Is The Enemy” (1997), the acoustic “Zen House” (1999) and “Personae” (2002). The long-awaited follow-up album to “Powers Of Ten” was released in 1999 under the title “The Tri-Tone Fascination”, but no longer on Warner Bros., but on the independent Eye Reckon label. This album was remastered some time later.

In February 2003 Shawn Lane played a short tour in India with Jonas Hellborg. A loyal fan base had emerged there, and the appearances of the formation were celebrated with euphoria. Shortly after this tour, another tour through Europe followed.

Lane was hospitalized in September with breathing problems. His health had deteriorated extremely over the past few years. For example, he suffered from psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis , and his high body weight, which was partly caused by the medication, in connection with his already compromised health meant that he was now dependent on artificial respiration. He died on September 26, 2003 in Memphis.

Selection discography

Solo:

  • "West Side Boogie" (1992, promo single)
  • "Powers Of Ten" (1992)
  • "Powers Of Ten" (1993, re-released with two remixed songs)
  • "The Tri-Tone Fascination" (1999)
  • "The Tri-Tone Fascination" (2000, with only eleven instead of 13 songs, remixed)
  • "Powers Of Ten: Live!" (2001)

With Jonas Hellborg:

  • "Abstract Logic" (with Kofi Baker, 1995)
  • "Temporal Analogues Of Paradise" (Hellborg / Lane / Sipe, 1996)
  • "Time Is The Enemy" (1997)
  • "Zenhouse" (1999)
  • "Good People in Times of Evil" (2000)
  • "Personae" (Hellborg / Lane / Sipe, 2002)
  • "Icon" (Hellborg / Lane / Vinayakram Bros, 2002)
  • "Live In Paris" DVD (Hellborg / Lane / Vinayakram Bros, 2004)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Lane, Shawn
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rock and fusion guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH March 21, 1963
PLACE OF BIRTH Memphis , Tennessee
DATE OF DEATH September 26, 2003
Place of death Memphis