S P ON S OR E D C ON T E N T
The Saskatoon StarPhoenix • thestarphoenix.com
Monday, September 28, 2015
C5
September 28 — October 4
S
2015
eniors WEEK
— SASKATCHEWAN —
Timeless talent Kenny Shields By Wendy Livingstone of Postmedia SK Special Projects
I
t would appear that age is not an issue for 67-year-old Kenny Shields, the long-time front man for the band Streetheart. After almost five decades performing professionally, Shields is still simply doing what he does best, singing to sold-out audiences. “I still really enjoy performing. I really do,” he says. As if to demonstrate that the secret to staying youthful may lie in doing what brings joy to the heart, Shields still strides across the stage with a strut that belies the number of candles on his last birthday cake. Does it make him feel as young as he looks when he belts out the old favourites? “Yes, I guess it does,” he says.
STILL ROCKIN’
wanted to join my favourite band, The 125 Witnesses, and I located where they were rehearsing one night. It was January and minus 800 degrees. I knocked on the door, and asked for the leader. Eddy Clinton came up the stairs and I said, ‘I’d like to audition for the band.’ He said, ‘We’re not really looking for anyone.’ He must have noticed the look on my face, which was probably kind of frustrated or sad, and he said, ‘what do you do?’ I said, ‘I sing,’ and he went back downstairs and I heard muffled voices. They asked me to sing for them and I went down and sang a couple of rough songs, and I joined that night.” So, even though the group wasn’t in
We have a phenomenal fan base, we really do; it’s very loyal and it’s all ages. — Kenny Shields He admits, though, that he has made some modifications to his current performances. “I used to climb poles and jump off speakers. But I don’t do that anymore,” he says with a laugh. “What I want to do is save the energy for the singing,” he says. “I’ve got to be in physical shape, in mental shape and in spiritual shape from the get-go. The stamina is always a bit of a challenge.” Shields has been singing professionally since he was a teenager. Fresh from high school in Nokomis, Sask., he headed to the city of Saskatoon, where he attended barber school and college. “But, in my heart, I
the market for a new singer, once they discovered his unique sound, they found a spot for him in front of the band. Shields played for that band, which later became Witness Inc., from 1966 to 1970, and the band released five singles. After taking some time away from professional singing, Shields started performing again in 1972 with A Group Called Mudd in Regina. The group later disbanded and, because he wanted to play with Daryl Gutheil and Ken Sinnaeve (Spider), he followed a band called Wascana to Winnipeg in 1975. Later that year, the group moved back to Saskatoon and the name was changed to Witness. That sum-
mer, the band moved to Edmonton because of a more extensive club circuit in that city. On the circuit, they met Paul Dean and Matt Frenette. In September 1976, the five formed the group Streetheart in Regina. “We had an amazing chemistry together,” says Shields. The band, with various other members, quickly gained popularity with songs like “Action,” “Hollywood,” “Teenage Rage,” “One More Time,” “Tin Soldier,” “Here Comes the Night,” “What Kind of Love is This,” “Look in your eyes,” “Snow White” and “Under My Thumb.” Of the six studio albums and one double live album that the band recorded, six received gold status, four of which went on to become platinum. One of them, the band’s self-titled album, sold over 200,000 copies, earning double platinum status. One single, “Under My Thumb,” attained gold. In 2003 Streetheart was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1979, the band received a Juno Award for most-promising group. The band toured extensively during the ‘80s. “I suppose we were out pretty much always. It was just a lot of touring, a lot of touring,” he says. That busy schedule has been scaled down, however, and Streetheart now gives about 20 to 30 performances a year. Most sell out quickly. “We have a phenomenal fan base, we really do; it’s very loyal and it’s all ages. That’s what I love about it — we have 18-, 19- and 20-yearolds singing every lyric. And we’ve got other fans that have been there for 30 years,” he says. “But they’re still there. The point is that
they’re still there. Yeah.” In 2013, Shields released a solo album called Letting Go. In that album, the voice of the then-65-year-old is still as strong, clear and flawless as it was decades ago, as he covers classics like the Rolling Stones’ “Angie,” the Eagles’ “Best Of My Love,” Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry,” and Rod Stewart’s “I Don’t Wanna Talk About It.” Shields retains the original soul of the songs, while adding his own distinctive sound, complemented by producer Jeff Neill, who is member of today’s Streetheart. With such an extraordinary career, Shields has experienced many things that most people can only dream of. He doesn’t, however, spend a lot of time reminiscing or philosophizing about the past. “Half of my career, I probably don’t even remember, because there is just so much to remember, it’s impossible. Looking back, Shields does say he would have some advice for his younger self, but he doesn’t waste a lot of energy on regrets. “Yes, I would make many changes if I could talk to that guy. You just have to confront yourself, and you have to forgive yourself,” he says. “I don’t think this is very unique coming from Kenny Shields — I think that anybody could say that about their life, don’t you think?” Shields says he feels no pressure to continue to do live performances, but will continue as long as he feels it’s right. “It’s hard to say when I’ll quit performing, because I’m still enjoying it — it could be this year, it could be next year, it could be the year after. I remain quite humbled by it, because after 40-some years, I am still performing.”
The current Streetheart lineup, from left to right Jeff Neill, lead guitar and vocals; Daryl Gutheil, keyboards and vocals; lead singer Kenny Shields; Tim Sutton, drums; and Jake Jacobs, bass and vocals. Supplied photo by Anthony DellaCroce
ABOUT THIS CONTENT: THESE STORIES WERE PRODUCED BY POSTMEDIA SASKATCHEWAN SPECIAL PROJECTS TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THIS TOPIC FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES. POSTMEDIA’S EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT HAD NO INVOLVEMENT IN THE CREATION OF THIS CONTENT.