Shawn Lane

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For those of a similar name, see Sean Lane (disambiguation).
This article is written like a personal reflection or opinion essay that states
the Wikipedia editor's personal feelings about a topic, rather than the opinions
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Shawn Lane
ShawnLane.jpg
Background information
Born
March 21, 1963
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died
September 26, 2003 (aged 40)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres Instrumental rock, jazz fusion, world fusion
Occupation(s) Musician, composer, producer
Instruments
Guitar, piano, keyboard, bass
Years active
1977 2003
Labels Warner Bros., Eye Reckon
Associated acts Jonas Hellborg/Jeff Sipe, Black Oak Arkansas, Savage Innocence,
D.D.T., The Willys, The Streets
Website www.shawnlane.com/wordpress
Notable instruments
Vigier Excalibur
Charvel 750XL
Ibanez Ghostrider
Shawn Lane (March 21, 1963 September 26, 2003) was an American musician who rele
ased two studio albums and collaborated with a variety of musicians including Ri
ngo Starr, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Regg
ie Young, Joe Walsh, Jonas Hellborg and many others. After studying the piano, h
e rapidly mastered the guitar, which he played with exceptional speed.
Contents [hide]
1
Youth
2
Adulthood and piano
3
Collaborations
4
Outside influences
5
Health and 2003 death
6
Legacy
7
Discography
7.1
Solo albums
7.2
Instructional
7.3
With Jonas Hellborg
7.4
Other appearances
7.5
Tribute
7.6
Album Credits
7.7
Unreleased
8
References
9
External links
Youth[edit]
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 12 13 he beg
an to practice heavily. At fourteen, he became the lead guitarist for Black Oak
Arkansas (BOA) and alongside members, including drummer Tommy Aldridge, toured o
ver the next four years opening shows for bands including REO Speedwagon, Ted Nu
gent, Outlaws, Cheap Trick, Molly Hatchet and Blue yster Cult. During 1979 Shawn
played in The Streets recording studio demos with Andy Tanas on bass, Chris Crai
g on drums and Jimmy Henderson on guitar almost securing a deal with Epic Record
s.[citation needed]

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.[1] Lane also
played in Savage Innocence with singer Jim "Dandy" Mangrum, guitarist Keith Plu
nk, keyboardist Billy Batte, drummer Chris Craig and bassist Kinley Wolfe who th
en played with The Cult. As the original members dropped out, Lane replaced them
with players from his high school days. Lane began to play a style close to jaz
z fusion. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Lane played in The Willys, a band co
nsisting of singer/keyboardist Sam Bryant, singer/bassist Rob Caudill and his br
other, drummer Russ Caudill. The Caudill brothers had played in The Breaks with
Susanne Jerome-Taylor. Lane also performed in the fusion band Out of Bounds, wit
h Barry Bays and DeGarmo and Key drummer Chuck Reynolds.
Adulthood and piano[edit]
From age eighteen to twenty-six, Lane studied music, composed music, and played
piano. In 1983 he became a father to a daughter named Ashley.[citation needed] M
uch of the material on Lane's first studio album, Powers of Ten, was written on
his home piano.[1][2] He quickly developed his technique on the keyboard as well
, taking influence from pianists such as Franz Liszt, Art Tatum and Georges Czif
fra.[3]
His demo tapes led Shawn to be sought out by Jim Ed Norman and a recording contr
act with Warner Bros. Records. Except for one cover song, Lane wrote all the mat
erial and played all the instruments on his debut album. The album sold well and
earned several magazine awards.[4] 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 c
ontinued to play live shows and do session work. On September 19, 1992, Lane pla
yed in Guitar Player Magazine's 25th anniversary concert at Warfield Theatre, Sa
n Francisco alongside Steve Morse, John Lee Hooker, Dick Dale, Jeff "Skunk" Baxt
er, Adrian Belew, Ry Cooder and others. He also performed on the Mark Varney Pro
ject's Centrifugal Funk album along with Brett Garsed, Frank Gambale, Jimmy Earl
, T. J. Helmerich. To promote his album, he formed The Powers of Ten band with B
arry Bays on bass, keyboardist Doug Scarborough, Todd Bobo on saxophone and drum
mer 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!, re
corded live in 1993, and The Tri-Tone Fascination in 1999.
Collaborations[edit]
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During 1994 Lane met bassist Jonas Hellborg. Lane and Hellborg played with drumm
er 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. During this time S
hawn developed curricula and taught at several European Conservatories including
the American Institute of Music in Vienna alongside Joey Tafolla and Milan Pola
k[citation needed]. He also wrote columns for Young Guitar Magazine in Japan whi
ch were published between February 1995 and 1996. During 1996 Shawn also wrote c
olumns for Guitar for the Practicing Musician in their Over the Top series. Shaw
n also engineered and co-produced the album Red Reign by Steven Patrick from Hol
y Soldier.
In September 1995, Hellborg, Lane and drummer Anders Johansson played with Chine
se 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 Day
s festival on June 19, 1998 with Hellborg and Flix Sabal Lecco. In 1998 Lane play

ed the guitar solo on Bang a Drum featuring Jon Bon Jovi and Chris LeDoux reachi
ng number 68 on Hot Country Songs. During May 1999 Lane played with drummer Stev
e Ferrone at the Disma Music show, Rimini, Italy. Later, Lane and Hellborg forme
d an East-West fusion band with Indian musicians V. Selvaganesh and V. Umamahesh
. On April 19, 2002, HLS opened up for guitarist John Scofield at the Variety Pl
ayhouse, Atlanta, GA. While in Memphis, Lane would play with the Time Bandits, w
ith 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
playing the Great Indian Rock Festival, Hamsadhwani Theatre, Pragati Maiden, New
Delhi. Shawn played the Swedish Jazz Celebration Festival, Stockholm, on March
29, 2003 with Hellborg, V. Umamahesh, V. Umashankar and Ramakrishnan. Lane's las
t concert performance was at Smilefest in North Carolina with Hellborg and Jim B
ritt on May 31, 2003. In September 2003 Shawn Lane was preparing for a new album
with Hellborg and Ginger Baker.[citation needed] The Shawn Lane Memorial Concer
t was held on August 28, 2005, New Daisy Theatre, Memphis, TN celebrating the li
fe and music of Shawn Lane featuring Andy Timmons, Jimi Jamison, Lord Tracy, Cra
ig Erickson, Kevin Paige, FreeWorld, Jim "Dandy" Mangrum and many others.
Outside influences[edit]
This section is written like a personal reflection or opinion essay that states
the Wikipedia editor's personal feelings about a topic, rather than the opinions
of experts. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (A
ugust 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Lane had a passion for the cinema, both in the USA and abroad, including the abi
lity to recall and recite dialogue from movies that interested him. Lane had a p
articular love of off-beat horror movies, a passion he shared with fellow guitar
great, Buckethead, who also cited Lane as one of his biggest musical inspiratio
ns. Musically, Lane was influenced by many other artists but an important one wa
s Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Called the King of Kings of Qawwali an
d very popular in Pakistan, India and Southern Asia, Khan fascinated Lane deeply
with his wide vocal range and the intertwining of his voice with the notes from
his instrument. Lane was also a genuine lover of great paintings and often spen
t some of his free time on the road visiting museums, occasionally attracting sm
all crowds as he educated visitors about the history of a particular work of art
, or its creator. His personal favorite painter was 17th century, Dutch great Jo
hannes Vermeer, who coincidentally like Lane, was widely accepted as a gifted ar
tist yet never obtained any real personal wealth from his tremendous talent. Ver
meer was noted for his attention to the fine details of his work, also a charact
eristic of Lane. Speaking true musician-ese, Lane once said, "Music is kind of l
ike painting because both have color, tone, texture and a story".
Health and 2003 death[edit]
Lane had psoriasis throughout his life. After age twelve, he also suffered from
psoriatic arthritis, which caused stiffness in his joints and after 2000 was aff
ecting his ability to play guitar (Lane stated that with proper rest he could st
ill play live gigs, etc.).[1] Lane had treated his psoriasis with hydrocortisone
for many years, which caused his weight to increase, further loading his joints
. The required usage of cortisone over time resulted in him having Cushings synd
rome. Consequently he backed off taking cortisone, but then the psoriasis would
flare up, and he would need prescription pain killers to deal with the unremitti
ng pain.[1] The symptoms of his condition and the side effects of the medication
s created a vicious circle. Complicating matters, for many years Lane did not ha
ve medical insurance coverage.[1] In 2003 he started having difficulty breathing
and was told that he would have to remain on medical oxygen for the rest of his
life.[5]
Lane died in a hospital in Memphis on September 26, 2003 of lung-related illness

es.[2][5] His body was buried at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis.[6]
Legacy[edit]
Although not a familiar name to many outside musician's circles, today's guitar
virtuosos such as Rusty Cooley, Michael Romeo, Guthrie Govan, Buckethead, Paul G
ilbert
who called Lane "the most terrifying guy of all time" during a guitar cli
nic when asked about his thoughts on Lane's guitar playing skills
and many other
s regard him extremely highly. The American Guitar Institute has named him the "
greatest guitarist who ever lived".[7] Guitar World magazine wrote in 2008, "Few
, if any, guitarists can play faster than Lane could, and his arpeggio sweeps an
d precision-picked lines blasted more rapid-fire notes than the average human mi
nd could comprehend."[8]
Discography[edit]
Solo albums[edit]
1992: "West Side Boogie" (promotional single)[9]
1992: Powers of Ten, Warner Bros.
1999: The Tri-Tone Fascination, Eye Reckon Records
2001: Powers of Ten; Live!, Eye Reckon Records
Instructional[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
1983: Tender Mercies - Music From The Motion Picture, Liberty
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, Columbia Nashville
1990: Son of the South
Toy Caldwell, Blue Hat Records
1991: Worrall
Rick & Steve Worrall with Jimi Jamison, A & M
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: Breaking the Barriers of Jazz, Silva Screen Records
1997: Fission, Jens Johansson, with Mike Stern, Heptagon Records
1997: Calvin Russell, Calvin Russell, Last Call Records
1998: One road man, Chris LeDoux, Capitol Nashville Records
1998: Fission, Jens Johansson, Japanese bonus track Straffpolska Frn Sudan, Pony
Canyon
1999: Parker Card & The Sideman Syndicate, Parker Card, with Eric Gales, Orchard
Records
1999: Rock Guitarists Forever Best, Various Artists Compilation, Japanese-only r

elease
2000: Mood Du Jour, Doug Scarborough, Hapi Skratch Records
2000: The Highwayman Collection, The Highwaymen, Sony Music CMG
2003: Polaris, North Mississippi Allstars, ATO Records
2004: Richard Hallebeek Project, Richard Hallebeek, with Brett Garsed, Liquid No
te Records
2008: Classic Chris LeDoux, Capital Nashville
2009: The World's Greatest Fusion Guitarists, Tone Centre
2010: 'Infinity' featured on the soundtrack to Daniele Luchetti "La Nostra Vita"
2011: Worrall
Rick & Steve Worrall with Jimi Jamison, A&M, re-release on Yesterr
ock Records
2013: "Parker Card & The Sidemen Syndicate", Remastered, Wild Card Records
2014: Richard Hallebeek Project, Richard Hallebeek, Remastered with bonus track
External Mess, Richie Rich Music
Tribute[edit]
2004: Shawn Lane Remembered Vol 1, Lion Music
2004: Shawn Lane Remembered Vol 2, Lion Music
2004: The Usual Unusual, J.A.M., Liquid Note Records
2004: Concert in Shillong - Live in India, Andrea Marshesini, Big Gear Records
2005: Tribute, Eric Mantel, The Unstruck Melody, Holistic Music BMI
2008: Slendro: and Improv for Lane, The Fractured Dimension
Towards the Mysteriu
m, The Fractured Dimension
2010: Power Lane, Magnus Olsson, Melodic Soloists, Mad Guitar Records
2015: The Spirit of Shawn, Frankenstein Rooster, The Nerdvrotic Sounds' Escape,
Scarlet Records
2015: Temporal Landrons, Suhy, Silvergold & Alvarado, Tessellations, Suhy, Silve
rgold & Alvarado
Album Credits[edit]
1990: Nu Thang, DC TALK, Forefront
1990: Vertical Invader, Alex Masi, Metal Blade
1991: The Eric Gales Band, Ardent Productions
Unreleased[edit]
1979: The Streets, studio demos featuring Andy Tanas, Chris Craig, Jimmy Henders
on.
1981: Savage Innocence, Black Oak Arkansas, studio demos recorded at Ardent Stud
ios, Memphis, TN
1984: Robert Duvall, Robert Duvall with Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, Triad
Records
1987: Lost and Found, Ringo Starr, produced By Chips Moman in Memphis, CBS
1988: Studio Demos, The Willys, recorded at Sounds Unreal, Memphis, TN
1991: Hold On, When Love Comes Down, Jimi Jamison, Scotti Bros label
1994: The Farthest Star, Steve Harris, TBA
1996: "What the hell was i thinking?", Dweezil Zappa, TBA
1997: Shawn Lane & The Windigo Band, with Aaron Flanders, Li Hongwu, Jerry Leake
, David Ormonde Thomas.
2000: Inside A Dream, Shawn Lane with Eddie Chip LeVerne on drums, TBA
2000: The Film Music Album, TBA