Shannon (American singer)

Brenda Shannon Greene (born May 2, 1958),<ref name="unsung"/><ref name=ShannonAMG/><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref> known professionally as Shannon, is an American singer and songwriter of freestyle and dance-pop music. She is best known for her single "Let the Music Play", which topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in 1983 and was certified gold.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/><ref name="Shannon Page">Template:Cite web</ref>

Her studio albums include Let the Music Play (1984), followed by Do You Wanna Get Away (1985) and Love Goes All the Way (1986). In 1999, Shannon appeared in a segment of VH1's One-Hit Wonders,<ref name=ShannonAMG/> and returned to music with her fourth studio album The Best Is Yet to Come (2000).<ref name="sing365.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Her studio album, A Beauty Returns, was released in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Template:BLP sources section Shannon was born in Washington, D.C., United States.<ref name="LarkinGE">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1983, she was enrolled at York College in New York City and toured with the New York Jazz Ensemble.<ref name=ShannonAMG/> Quintin Hicks, an associate of the production team of Mark Liggett and Chris Barbosa, saw Shannon singing with a live band in her cousin's recording studio. She auditioned for Liggett and Barbosa with the song "She Can't Love You Like I Do".<ref name="Shannon Page"/> They introduced her to the selection "Fire and Ice", which would later evolve into Shannon's signature song, "Let the Music Play" (Mirage Records/Emergency Records);<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> its unique sound, called "the Shannon Sound", would later come to be known as "freestyle".<ref name=ShannonAMG/> Let the Music Play would also be the title of Shannon's debut studio album, which she released through the team in 1984.<ref name=ShannonAMG/>

In July 1983, "Let the Music Play" was released on New York-based dance label Emergency<ref name=ShannonAMG/> and Shannon was invited back to record more songs with Liggett and Barbosa.<ref name=ShannonAMG/> The single reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard R&B and #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play charts.<ref name="Shannon Page"/> It also was ranked at #49 of Billboard's Top 100 songs of 1984.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was later ranked #23 among Billboard's best dance songs of all-time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Her debut studio album, Let the Music Play, was released on February 1, 1984.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Give Me Tonight", the follow-up single, reached the number-two spot on the R&B charts and number one on the Hot Dance Club Play charts. The song went to number 46 on the pop charts.<ref name="allmusic"/> It was one of Billboard's top 30 dance songs for the year of 1984.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the United States, the third single was "My Heart's Divided".<ref name=ShannonAMG/> The single, featuring Jimi Tunnell as one of the backing vocalists, hit #3 on the Dance Chart.<ref name="allmusic"/> "Sweet Somebody", a mid-tempo soul effort, made the Top 20 in a few European nations.

Shannon's studio album Let the Music Play went on to sell approximately 1.5 million worldwide,Template:Citation needed with 500,000 of those sold in the United States, earning gold certification. Shannon was nominated for a Grammy Award and received numerous other awards, including the Dinah Washington (Jack the Rapper) Award, the Hall of Fame Award, the Gold Ampex Reel Award, a certified gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America, and the Best Billboard Top 10 female R&B vocalist.

In 1985, she released her second studio album, Do You Wanna Get Away. The title track was the first single and it became her third single to appear on the Hot 100, and her third single to hit #1 on the Dance Chart.<ref name="allmusic"/> She scored three more dance hits, including "Stronger Together", a cover of "Urgent" by Foreigner, and "Stop the Noise", with a video sponsored by Pepsi and Black Angus. Love Goes All the Way, Shannon's third studio album, was released in 1986.

Shannon asked to be released from her recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1987. She recorded soundtracks, jingles, and the track "Criminal", for the movie Fatal Beauty, starring Whoopi Goldberg. While touring the world, Shannon attended and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

In 1998, she cowrote and sang on multi-tracks produced by Todd Terry, Tony Moran, and Germany's Sash! and Les Rythmes Digitales. The Shannon single "Move Mania" (Sash!) became an EU dance hit. In 1999, Shannon appeared in a segment of VH1's One-Hit Wonders.<ref name=ShannonAMG/> Entertainment Tonight also taped a special about her life. She was managed for a period of time by Eric Vega producer of shows and events. In 2005 the NBC TV show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time aired a full interview on Shannon's life, music, and a pre-taped performance in front of a studio audience for national airing.

Shannon's fourth studio album, The Best Is Yet to Come, was released on March 28, 2000.<ref name="sing365.com"/> She is credited as 50 percent writer of the album. Chris Barbosa served as a producer, along with Andy "Panda" Tripoli and Tony Moran. This venture thrust Shannon back onto the dance scene and Billboard Music Charts in the early 2000s with top 10 Billboard Dance Remixes by veteran DJ/Mixer Junior Vasquez (For "Let the Music Play – The Lost Mixes" – #3 US Billboard Music Dance Charts), and Hex Hector for "Give Me Tonight". Shannon later released a compilation album, Let the Music Play: The Best of Shannon, in 2004.

On April 20, 2006, Shannon participated in the Freestyle Extranvaganza concert along with artists Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, the Cover Girls, Coro, and Stevie B The event was sponsored by WKTU, WSKQ, and WCAA in New York.

A fifth studio album, A Beauty Returns, was released in 2006. Today, Shannon is a voting member of the Grammy's (Recording Academy), and she occasionally performs shows around the world. In 2016, Carnival Cruise Line ran a national television campaign featuring music performed by her. In 2017, Shannon was a contestant on the Fox game show Beat Shazam where she was partnered with former Stetsasonic member Bobby Simmons.

Personal life

Template:Expand section Shannon has never married and has no children.<ref name="unsung">Template:Cite episode Retrieved Template:Start date.</ref>

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions								Certifications
		US <ref name="allmusic">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US R&B <ref name="allmusic"/>	CAN <ref name="can">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	GER <ref name="ger">Template:Cite web</ref>	NLD <ref name="nld">Template:Cite web</ref>	NZ <ref name="nz">Template:Cite web</ref>	SWI <ref name="swi">Template:Cite web</ref>	UK <ref name="uk">Template:Cite web</ref>
1984	Let the Music Play Release date: February 1, 1984 Label: Atlantic | Mirage	32	11	29	35	47	50	30	52	US: Gold<ref name="riaa">Template:Cite web</ref>
1985	Do You Wanna Get Away Release date: May 1985 Label: Atlantic | Mirage	92	39	78	—	—	—	—	—
1986	Love Goes All the Way Release date: October 24, 1986 Label: Atlantic	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2000	The Best Is Yet to Come Release date: March 28, 2000 Label: Contagious	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2006	A Beauty Returns Release date: November 30, 2006 Label: Diggin 4 Brown	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilations

• Part Time Lovers (1991)
• The Collection (1994)
• The Ultimate Collection (1994)
• Dancefloor Artists Volume 8 – The Best of Shannon (1995)
• The Collection (reissue) (2001)
• Let the Music Play: The Best of Shannon (2004)

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions										Certifications	Album
		US <ref name="allmusic"/>	US R&B <ref name="allmusic"/>	US Dance <ref name="allmusic"/>	AUS <ref name="kent">Template:Cite book</ref>	CAN	GER <ref name="ger"/>	NLD <ref name="nld"/>	NZ <ref name="nz"/>	SWI <ref name="swi"/>	UK <ref name="uk"/>
1983	"Let the Music Play"	8	2	1	62	12<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	5	25	2	23	14	US: Gold<ref name="riaa"/>	Let the Music Play
1984	"Give Me Tonight"	46	6	1	—	—	26	—	—	—	24
	"My Heart's Divided"	—	48	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Sweet Somebody"	—	—	—	—	—	46	—	—	—	25
	"It's You"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1985	"Do You Wanna Get Away"	49	13	1	—	57<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	57	—	—	—	—		Do You Wanna Get Away
	"Stronger Together"	103	26	25	—	—	—	—	—	—	46
	"Urgent"	—	68	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	84
	"Stop the Noise"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1986	"Love Goes All the Way"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Love Goes All the Way
	"Prove Me Right"	—	82	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1987	"Dancin'"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	91
	"Criminal"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Fatal Beauty
1992	"Rain Song"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Non-album singles
1995	"It's Got to Be Love"	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2000	"Give Me Tonight 2000"	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		The Best Is Yet to Come
	"Let the Music Play 2000"	—	—	32	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2001	"Let the Music Play" (re-release)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	102		Non-album singles
2002	"Let the Music Play 2002"	—	—	—	—	—	83	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Featured singles

Year	Single	Artist	Peak chart positions				Album
			US Dan <ref name="allmusic"/>	GER <ref name="ger"/>	NLD <ref name="nld"/>	UK <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1997	"It's Over Love"	Todd Terry	1	—	—	16	Todd Terry Presents Ready for a New Day
1998	"Let the Music Play '98"	Qwest	—	—	—	—	Non-album single
	"Move Mania"	Sash!	25	56	40	8	Life Goes On
2000	"Pulsation"	Illicit	—	—	—	—	Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

See also

• Timeline of Billboard number-one dance songs
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart

External links

• Shannon's MySpace page
• Template:AllMusic
• Template:Discogs artist
• Template:IMDb name