Shannon (song)

"Shannon"
Single by Henry Gross
from the album Release
B-side"Pokey"
ReleasedFebruary 1976
GenreSoft rock[1]
Length3:50
LabelLifesong
Songwriter(s)Henry Gross
Producer(s)Terry Cashman and Tommy West for Cashwest Productions, Inc.
Henry Gross singles chronology
"One More Tomorrow"
(1975) 		"Shannon"
(1976) 		"Springtime Mama"
(1976)

"Shannon" is a 1976 song by Henry Gross. It became an international hit, reaching #6 and achieving gold record status in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Cash Box Top 100. The song reached #1 in Canada and New Zealand.[2]

"Shannon" was written about the death of a pet dog that belonged to Beach Boys member Carl Wilson. While touring with the Beach Boys in 1975, Gross visited Wilson's home in Los Angeles and in conversation said he had an Irish Setter named Shannon. Wilson replied that he, too, had an Irish Setter named Shannon, that had recently been killed when hit by a car.[3][4][5]

The single went gold in the U.S.[6] and became a worldwide hit, reaching #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Cash Box Top 100 in 1976. In Canada it reached #1. "Shannon" also reached #1 in New Zealand, but peaked only at #32 in the UK.[6]

  1. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (July 17, 2000). "The Linen: Soft Rock". Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-312-19821-3.
  2. ^ "Collectionscanada.gc.ca". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2016-09-11..
  3. ^ "Henry Gross's Website"..
  4. ^ Streeter, Leslie Gray (7 January 2016). "Co-founder of Sha Na Na, Henry Gross, playing at CityPlace". PalmBeachPost.com. Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  5. ^ Kotal, Kent (6 January 2009). "The Real Story Behind the Henry Gross Hit "Shannon"". Forgotten Hits. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  6. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 237. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.