Preston Shannon

Memphis-rooted guitarist, singer, and songwriter Preston Shannon pairs his soul-drenched singing with searing, poison-edged guitar lines. His timbre registers low and raspy after years spent on countless bandstands and in studios supporting other artists. He concentrates on a fusion of Southern-fried soul and blues, and every release or stage appearance features a horn section that frames both upbeat, body-moving grooves and reflective, heartfelt ballads.

Born in Olive Branch, Mississippi, he relocated with his family to Memphis at age eight. His Pentecostal parents initially resisted his pull toward the blues yet relented once they recognized the depth of his commitment to making a living from the music. During the 1970s he performed with the local bar band Amnesty and later circulated through several other Memphis groups while holding a daytime position at a hardware firm. He finally committed to music full-time after securing a chair in soul-blues vocalist Shirley Brown’s ensemble.

In 1991 he assembled his own group and began working the clubs along Beale Street and beyond. Early in the decade, producer and keyboardist Ron Levy heard him at a Beale Street venue and introduced his work to Rounder Records. The label released his first nationally available recording in 1994.

Shannon has issued three albums on Rounder’s Bullseye Blues imprint: Break the Ice (1994), Midnight in Memphis (1996), and All in Time (1999). Each set highlights his ability to move between high-energy, gospel-tinged selections and slower, emotionally direct love songs and ballads. His guitar work reflects the influence of Albert and B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, and the rhythmic approach of Little Milton Campbell.

Long content to remain within Memphis, he has only lately expanded his touring schedule, appearing at blues festivals across the United States.