Shawn Lane
Background information
Born	(1963-03-21)March 21, 1963 Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Died	September 26, 2003(2003-09-26) (aged 40) Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Genres	Instrumental rock, jazz fusion, world fusion
Occupations	Musician, composer, producer
Instruments	Guitar, piano, keyboard
Years active	1977–2003
Labels	Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Jonas Hellborg/Jeff Sipe, Black Oak Arkansas, Savage Innocence, D.D.T., The Willys
Website	shawnlane.com
Notable instruments
Vigier Excalibur

Shawn Lane (March 21, 1963 – September 26, 2003) was an American musician who released two studio-albums and collaborated with musicians, such as Ringo Starr and Jonas Hellborg. After studying the piano, he rapidly mastered the guitar, which he played with exceptional speed. The magazine Guitar World wrote, "Few, if any, guitarists can play faster than Lane could, and his arpeggio sweeps and precision-picked lines blasted more rapid-fire notes than the average human mind could comprehend."^[1]

Youth [link]

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Lane began playing piano with his sisters at the age of eight, but did not play guitar seriously until he was ten. At age thirteen he began to practice heavily. At fourteen, he became the lead guitarist for Black Oak Arkansas (BOA), which over the next four years opened shows for REO Speedwagon, Ted Nugent, the Outlaws, Cheap Trick, and Blue Öyster Cult. BOA playing at Bill Clinton's inaugural as Governor of Arkansas.

At age fifteen Lane saw Allan Holdsworth play guitar with the progressive band U.K., which inspired him to develop his own style of playing guitar.^[2] Lane also played in Savage Innocence with singer Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, guitarist Keith Plunk, keyboardist Billy Batte, drummer Chris Craig and bassist Kinley Wolfe. As the original members dropped out, Lane replaced them with players from his high school days. Lane began to play a style close to jazz fusion. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Lane played in The Willys, a band consisting of singer/bassist Rob Caudill, keyboardist Sam Bryant and drummer Russ Caudill.

Adulthood and piano [link]

From age eighteen to twenty six, Lane studied music, composed music, and played piano.^{[citation needed]} Much of the material on Lane's first studio album, Powers of Ten, was written on his home piano.^[2][3] He quickly developed his technique on the keyboard as well, taking influence from pianists such as Franz Liszt, Art Tatum and Georges Cziffra.^[4]

His demo tapes won him a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. Except for one cover song, Lane wrote all the material and played all the instruments on his debut album. The album sold well and earned several magazine awards.^[5] Following its release in 1992, Guitar Player magazine named him "Best New Talent" and Keyboard Magazine placed him second in the "Best Keyboard Player" category. During the production of the album Lane continued to play live shows and do session work. He also performed on the Mark Varney Project's Centrifugal Funk album along with Brett Garsed and Frank Gambale. To promote the album, he formed The Powers of Ten band with Barry Bays on bass, keyboardist Doug Scarborough, Todd Bobo on saxophone and drummer Sean Rickman; they opened for Robben Ford's US tour.^{[citation needed]}

Lane released two more solo albums following his debut, Powers of Ten; Live!, recorded live in 1993, and The Tri-Tone Fascination in 1999.

Collaborations [link]

When Lane met bassist Jonas Hellborg in 1994. Lane and Hellborg played with drummer Jeff Sipe in HLS (Hellborg, Lane, Sipe). Between 1994–1995, Lane played with D.D.T., a band consisting of Paul Taylor, Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson; the latter three would then form the North Mississippi Allstars. In September 1995, Hellborg, Lane and drummer Anders Johansson played with Chinese pop singer Wei Wei and the trio appeared as an opening act at many of China's largest musical venues.^{[citation needed]} Lane played the Warsaw Summer Jazz Days festival on 19 June 1998 with Hellborg and Felix Sabel-Lecco. Later, Lane and Hellborg formed an East-West fusion band with Indian musicians V. Selvaganesh and V. Umamahesh. While in Memphis, Lane would play with the Time Bandits, with singer Regina Parker, steel guitarist Tony Sutton, drummer Steve Sutton and bassist Adam Sutton. In February 2003, Lane and Hellborg toured India with drummer Andrea Marchesini. Shawn played the Swedish Jazz Celebration Festival, Stockholm, on 29th March 2003 with Hellborg, V. Umamahesh, V. Umashankar and Ramakrishnan. Lane's last concert performance was at Smilefest in North Carolina with Hellborg and Jim Britt on May 31 2003. In September 2003 Shawn Lane was preparing for a new album with Hellborg and Ginger Baker.^{[citation needed]}

Health and 2003 death [link]

Lane had psoriasis throughout his life. After age twelve, he also also suffered from psoriatic arthritis, which caused stiffness in his guitar playing only after 2000. His psoriasis was treated with hydrocortisone, which caused his weight to increase.^[2] In 2003, Lane was told that he would have to remain on medical oxygen the rest of his life.^[6]

Lane died in a hospital in Memphis on September 26, 2003 of lung-related illnesses.^[3][6] His body was buried at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis.^[7]

Discography [link]

Solo albums [link]

• 1992: "West Side Boogie" (promotional single)^[8]
• 1992: Powers of Ten, Warner Bros
• 1999: The Tri-Tone Fascination, Eye Reckon Records
• 2001: Powers of Ten; Live!, Eye Reckon Records

Instructional

• Shawn Lane - Power Licks - REH837, 1993, (VHS)
• Shawn Lane - Power Solos - REH838, 1993, (VHS)
• Shawn Lane - Power Licks & Solos, 1995, Warner Brother Publications

With Jonas Hellborg [link]

• 1995: Abstract Logic, Bardo Records
• 1995: Two Doors, with Michael Shrieve, CMP Records
• 1996: Temporal Analogues of Paradise, Bardo Records
• 1997: Time Is the Enemy, Bardo Records
• 1999: Zenhouse, Bardo Records
• 2000: Good People in Times of Evil, Bardo Records
• 2002: Personae, Bardo Records
• 2003: Icon: A Transcontinental Gathering, Bardo Records
• 2004: Paris: DVD release of the 2001 concert at New Morning, Bardo Records

Other appearances [link]

• 1984: U.S. Metal Vol. IV - Unsung Guitar Heroes, Stratosphere II, Shrapnel Records
• 1989: Looking for shelter, Michael Bradley & Mark Lindsay
• 1990: Highwayman 2 - The Highwaymen (country supergroup), Columbia Nashville
• 1990: Son of the South - Toy Caldwell, Blue Hat Records
• 1991: Worrall - Rick & Steve Worrall with Jimi Jamison, A&M, re-release on Yesterrock Records
• 1991: Centrifugal Funk with Frank Gambale Brett Garsed, Legato Records
• 1991: When Love Comes Down, Jimi Jamison, Scotti Bros label
• 1992: Guitar on the edge, Vol 1, No.1, Legato Records
• 1992: Guitar on the edge, Vol 1, No.2 with David Ormonde Thomas, Legato Records
• 1992: On the way home, David Ormonde Thomas, Ethereal Thunder Productions
• 1993: A Little On The CD Side, Vol. 7, Musician Magazine, PRO MST 9107
• 1994: Guitar's Practicing Musicians Vol 111, Guitar Recordings
• 1995: Red Reign, Steven Patrick, Emerald Stare Records
• 1996: Guitar Zone, CMP Records
• 1996: Exploring the Frontiers of Rock, Jazz and World Music, CMP Records
• 1996: New Spirits in Jazz - part 2, EFA Records
• 1997: Fission, Jens Johansson, with Mike Stern, Heptagon Records
• 1997: Calvin Russell, Calvin Russell (musician), Last Call Records
• 1998: One road man, Chris LeDoux, Capitol Nashville Records
• 1999: Parker Card & The Sideman Syndicate, Parker Card, with Eric Gales, Orchard Records
• 2000: Mood Du Jour, Doug Scarborough, Hapi Skratch Records
• 2003: Polaris, North Mississippi Allstars, ATO Records
• 2004: Richard Hallebeek Project, with Brett Garsed, Liquid Note Records
• 2004: Shawn Lane Remembered Vol 1, Lion Music
• 2004: Shawn Lane Remembered Vol 2, Lion Music
• 2009: The World's Greatest Fusion Guitarists, Tone Centre
• 2010: 'Infinity' featured on the soundtrack to Daniele Luchetti "La Nostra Vita"

References [link]

External links [link]

• Official website
• Steppin Out
• Article in All About Jazz by Souvik Dutta