Biography
Born in 1967 in New York City to nightclub singer Shirl-ee May, born Shirlee Ellis, and Wally Amos, the founder of Famous Amos cookies, Shawn Amos, also known as the Reverend Shawn Amos, grew up primarily in Los Angeles. He later returned to New York for college studies in film before shifting his focus to songwriting in the early 1990s. His initial full-length recording, Whitey McFearsun, appeared in 1996, followed the next year by Be Real. After signing with Unbreakable Records, he drew inspiration from a museum exhibition on the Harlem Renaissance for his third album and label debut, Harlem, issued in 2000. That release included contributions from Mark Olson of the Jayhawks and Poncho Sampedro of Crazy Horse. The more acoustic In Between arrived in 2002.
Amos subsequently joined the A&R department at Rhino’s Shout! Factory, where he rose to vice president of Music & Original Content and oversaw projects involving William Shatner and Susanna Hoffs. His fifth album, Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story), came out on the label in 2005, two years after his mother’s death. During this period he also issued the 2007 singles “Burned,” which featured Matthew Sweet, and “Long Time Gone,” recorded with Julie Miller.
Over the ensuing years Amos experienced several life changes, including a divorce and ordination as a minister; he also served as artistic director of Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill in Los Angeles and contributed an autobiographical serial to The Huffington Post. Adopting the persona the Reverend Shawn Amos, he released an EP under that name in 2014. His next full-length effort, Loves You, appeared in 2015 on the Put Together label and featured the Blind Boys of Alabama and Missy Andersen. The seventh album, Breaks It Down, followed in 2018; this contemporary protest record included performances by Blues Brothers drummer Steve Jordan, bassist Larry Taylor, known for work with Canned Heat and Tom Waits, and drummer Steve Potts, formerly of Booker T. & the MG’s and Gregg Allman.
In 2019 Amos assembled the Brotherhood, comprising guitarist Chris “Doctor” Roberts, bassist Christopher Thomas, who has collaborated with Terence Blanchard and Norah Jones, and drummer Brady Blade, known for associations with Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. Credited as the Reverend Shawn Amos & the Brotherhood, the group issued the blues album Blue Sky in 2020.
Amos subsequently joined the A&R department at Rhino’s Shout! Factory, where he rose to vice president of Music & Original Content and oversaw projects involving William Shatner and Susanna Hoffs. His fifth album, Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story), came out on the label in 2005, two years after his mother’s death. During this period he also issued the 2007 singles “Burned,” which featured Matthew Sweet, and “Long Time Gone,” recorded with Julie Miller.
Over the ensuing years Amos experienced several life changes, including a divorce and ordination as a minister; he also served as artistic director of Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Jazz Grill in Los Angeles and contributed an autobiographical serial to The Huffington Post. Adopting the persona the Reverend Shawn Amos, he released an EP under that name in 2014. His next full-length effort, Loves You, appeared in 2015 on the Put Together label and featured the Blind Boys of Alabama and Missy Andersen. The seventh album, Breaks It Down, followed in 2018; this contemporary protest record included performances by Blues Brothers drummer Steve Jordan, bassist Larry Taylor, known for work with Canned Heat and Tom Waits, and drummer Steve Potts, formerly of Booker T. & the MG’s and Gregg Allman.
In 2019 Amos assembled the Brotherhood, comprising guitarist Chris “Doctor” Roberts, bassist Christopher Thomas, who has collaborated with Terence Blanchard and Norah Jones, and drummer Brady Blade, known for associations with Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. Credited as the Reverend Shawn Amos & the Brotherhood, the group issued the blues album Blue Sky in 2020.
Albums
Singles