KENNY SHIELDS & STREETHEART BIO

KENNY SHIELDS & STREETHEART


Action,Action...read all about it! The song remains the same and Streetheart, just like that famous opening track from their debut album, are still an important and enduring part of Canadian rock history. Formed in 1976, Kenny Shields, Daryl Gutheil, Spider Sinnaeve, Paul Dean and Matt Frenette began winning audiences over with their combination of raw talent and musical power. Led by Kenny the band built a strong and loyal fan base and the release of "Meanwhile Back in Paris…" showed this was a band with a very exciting future. "Meanwhile" quickly went platinum and the band received a Juno for "Most Promising Canadian Group". Streetheart followed that with a string of gold and platinum albums as well as a gold single for their definitive version of the Rolling Stones’ "Under My Thumb". They kept building their audience throughout the country and although there were member changes — with John Hannah replacing Paul Dean on "Under Heaven, Over Hell" and Herb Ego replacing Matt Frenette on "Quicksand Shoes" — Kenny, Daryl and Spider remained the constant and definined the Streetheart sound with their self-produced "Drugstore Dancer". In 1981 Jeff Neill took over for John Hannah as guitarist and along with the Kenny, Daryl and Spider, wrote and produced the most successful album of their career - the self-titled "Streetheart" album. It still remains a fan favorite today and contains many of Streetheart’s most popular songs. However, time and the task of trying to break through into the US market finally took its toll on the band. With justifiable internal frustration and management incapable of doing the type of business that was needed to be successful, the boys called it quits in 1984.


Fast forward to 2003...
Ladies and Gentlemen… will you please welcome this year's Inductees into the Western Canadian Hall of Fame, Kenny Shields and Streetheart. An honour for only a select few artists, Kenny and Streetheart were inducted into the Hall of Fame based on their impressive legacy of excellence and their undiminished fan loyalty which is still so strong even to this day. After 30 years, Kenny and the band continue to play with a fierce energy and precision that other bands would be hard-pressed to match and they remain a benchmark in their industry. Everyone from veteran promoters to longtime loyal fans can’t help but be impressed at how GOOD this band still is. Just come to a show and watch the band work. You’ll agree this isn’t just hype. Kenny, Daryl and Jeff along with longtime members Blair DePape and Tim Sutton continue to do what Streetheart has always done from the very beginning which is to deliver high quality shows fueled by an "absolutely everything they’ve got" attitude. It’s all done with a level of ease and confidence that only comes with their kind of experience. That, combined with great songs, is a major part of what makes their shows so memorable. They know their fans deserve the best and this only highlights the level of friendship and respect the band have for each other, as well as for the history of Streetheart. If you haven’t seen Kenny Shields and Streetheart lately, you owe it to yourself to see one of Canada’s premier bands, and see that after 3 decades and a million records sold, what made the band so special then is still so clearly evident today.