Shannon Day – Bio – as taken from ArtistDirect.com
Dallas-native keyboardist Shannon Day began his musical career in the legendary Dallas neighborhood of Oak Cliff in the mid-60’s, where his brother, drummer Mike Day, played in the group Liberation, featuring a 15-year-old phenom Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar. Shannon began keyboards at 6, and at age 11 would acquire the first Minimoog synthesizer sold in Texas, as well as the prototype Helpinstill acoustic piano pickup.
As one of the pioneers of multi-keyboarding, Day would move on to playing progressive rock in Texas’ larger venues. Carrying a 13-keyboard arsenal on the road at one time (including a Hammond B3, Hohner Clavinet, Kawaii upright grand, a Fender Rhodes, a Wurlitzer, 2 Mellotrons, 2 Minimoogs, and assorted string machines), Day performed with dozens of Dallas’ finest local artists.
Earlier acts included First State Bank, Blaze, Pleasures of Time, Midnight Highway, Angel, Phrenz (in Los Angeles), Karen Bella, The Rodney Johnson Band, Wish, Mantis, a Yes/King Crimson/Gentle Giant tribute act, and Dallas-based Non-Fiction, whose first LP was produced by Jerry Marcellino, of Michael Jackson fame.
From 1980 on kept Day busy touring and recording with Shroom Records artist Hands, Mega Records’ Non-Fiction, and national acts like MCA recording artists Point Blank. Some of Day’s bandmates have included bassist Chuck Rainey(Steely Dan), sax master Brandon Fields (The Rippingtons), guitarist Jimmie Macon (Natalie Cole), bassist Pat Kinsey (Bloodrock), and guitarist Dewayne Phillips (George Jones ). Shannon has written, recorded, toured, and produced numerous rock, pop and concept album projects, jingles, and progressive music and classic rock & blues ventures in the last 40 years, and is writing his first solo CD with a collaboration of some fine colleagues.
Shannon was performing with The Fugitives from 1995 until their breakup in April 2007. After a short stint in Las Vegas in 2008, he returned to Dallas and worked with The Exploding Chihuahuas and Gunpoint. Until April 2011, he played with veteran progressive rockers First Rush . The 6-piece band has been around since the mid-70’s and was signed with Polydor Records. 2 new projects are underway for summer 2013, along with more live shows around Dallas-Fort Worth. Since April of 2011, Shannon had been filling in on keys with Big Mike’s Box of Rock, performing all classic rock covers to Mike Richardson’s wide and appreciative fan base. New shows with Big Mike began in March 2012, and continued thru April of 2013, when Mike disbanded the project. He also completed a Christmas CD for Aaron Ave Records in Arlington, which released in December of 2012.
After performing with DFW’s classic rock band “Rastus” in 2013 / 2014, Shannon has taken an extended sabbatical from live performance, and is devoted to lots of session work, composition, and broadcasting as txjazz on Twitch.tv .
After 5 years, the new Hands CD “Caviar Bobsled” has been released as of August 15, 2015, and is available everywhere. Please head over to CD Baby, Amazon, iTunes , or anywhere you’d normally go on the web to preview and purchase your favorite music! We think you’ll find it a most pleasant journey in progressive rock!
Shannon currently resides in Fort Worth, TX with his loving wife Cindy, their tabby cat “Kitty”, and their Black Mouth Cur service dog “B3”.