Shannon(IX)

Born Brenda Shannon Greene in 1958 in Washington, DC, Shannon grew up in Brooklyn and attended New York University, majoring in accounting and minoring in music. At 20, she joined the New York Jazz Ensemble as a singer. While a member she met drummer Lenny White and sang with Brownstone which led to some recording. One single, "Let The Music Play" was issued on NY-based dance label, Emergency Records as a 12" single with Shannon listed as the artist in fall 1983. She was shocked at seeing her name on the record. Produced by Mark Liggett and Chris Barbosa and written by Barbosa and Ed Chisolm, the track introduced a new dance sound featuring upfront heavy, staccato bass drum locked into the groove with electro-syn bass sprinkled with chiming "steel-drum" -like syn accents. The record became a monster dance-club hit and was picked up by Mirage Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, whose roster included dance-club favorites, The System. The million-selling "Let The Music Play" pumped its way up to #2 R&B, #8 Pop on Billboard's charts in late 1983. Her debut album titled "Let The Music Play" was issued in February 1984 and went gold, peaking at #32 Pop in March 1984. Shannon followed that up with "Give Me Tonight", #6 R&B, #46 Pop, spring 1984 and "My Heart's Divided", #48 R&B, summer 1984.

Nevertheless, Shannon appeared on a 1999 segment of cable channel VH-1's "Where Are They Now" vowing to return to the top of the charts.