Bob Shane

Bob Shane
Shane, 2004
Shane, 2004
Background information
Birth nameRobert Castle Schoen
Born(1934-02-01)February 1, 1934
Hilo, Territory of Hawaii, U.S.
DiedJanuary 26, 2020(2020-01-26) (aged 85)
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
GenresFolk, pop
Occupations
Instruments
Years active1957–2004
Labels
Formerly ofThe Kingston Trio

Robert Castle Schoen (February 1, 1934 – January 26, 2020), known professionally as Bob Shane, was an American singer and guitarist who was a founding member of The Kingston Trio. In that capacity, Shane became a seminal figure in the revival of folk and other acoustic music as a popular art form in the United States in the late 1950s through the mid-1960s.

The success of the Kingston Trio in its heyday had repercussions far beyond its voluminous album sales (including four albums simultaneously in the Top 10 in 1959), its host of imitators, and the relatively short-lived pop-folk boom it created. For the Kingston Trio's success took acoustic folk-based music out of the niche market it had occupied prior to the Trio's arrival and moved it into the mainstream of American popular music, opening the door for major record labels to record and market both more traditional folk musicians and singer-songwriters as well.[1]