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. He was known for his falsetto and the sad love songs he wrote mostly himself.

Shannon was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His parents were Bert and Leone Westover. He grew up in a small farming community, called Coopersville, near Grand Rapids. He was the eldest child of three. He had two sisters, Blanche and Ruth Anne.

His love of music began as a child. His mother taught him the ukulele. 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. 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 feet 6 inches (168 centimetres) and 140 pounds (64 kilograms), Westover was too small to play. Therefore, he had to be 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. However, two weeks before the event, she decided to go with another boy. That affected him greatly and is considered a major contributing factor for the songs he wrote and performed.