Del Shannon

Del Shannon (1965)

Charles Weedon Westover (or Del Shannon) (December 30, 1934 – February 8, 1990) was a rock and roll singer and guitar player who was known for his falsetto and the sad love songs he wrote mostly himself.

Westover (Shannon) was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Bert and Leone Westover. He grew up in a small farming community, called Coopersville, near Grand Rapids. He was the eldest child of three, with two sisters named Blanche and Ruth Anne.

His love of music began as a child. His mother taught him the ukulele, and he listened to county western music. He taught himself how to sing falsetto from songs such as "We Three" by The Ink Spots. At 14, he bought his first guitar and it immediately became his constant companion.

During that period, joining the football team was the big draw for boys, and if you didn't, your social life suffered. At 5'6" (167.64 cm) and 140 lbs. (63.5 kg), (Westover was too small to play, and thus was relegated to the water boy, lowest on the social hierarchy. Because of this, his guitar was his constant companion and his solace from the stresses of his teen years. For his senior prom, he got a date, but two weeks before the event, she dumped him for another boy, which affected him greatly and is considered a major contributing factor for the songs he wrote and performed.

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