New Horizons Band
Dallas, Texas
Jim Shannon
Electric Guitar
Music history:
My father, who learned a little about ukeleles while stationed in Hawaii during WWI, gave me a ukelele when I was about six years old and taught me to play a couple of songs. He bought me a guitar when I was going into high school. While in high school I played guitar and sang with a rock group called “The Fremonts.” We spent many weekends playing at sock hops at parks around Houston, Deer Park, and Pasadena.
A few years back I started a neighborhood oldies group called the “Budget Blues Band” (because we didn’t charge much to perform). I have subsequently dropped out and they’ve changed the name of the band. I started a singing trio that was called “The Old Kids Off The Block” for a while but is currently going by the name of the “Peachboys.” We still sing occasionally at seniors’ parties but we’re still at the point of singing the songs they used to tell their kids not to listen to, such as “Little Darling,” “Teddy Bear,” “The Great Pretender,” “She’ll Have Fun, Fun, Fun ‘till Her Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away,” etc.
I have sung in choirs at Galena Park High School, The University of Texas, and the Coppell Community Chorale. I have studied music theory and basic music composition/arrangement at North Lake College and Brookhaven.
New Horizons Band:
Why I joined New Horizons Band? I’m mostly involved with the UpSwing Group of the New Horizons Band but I have found everyone to be friendly and patient with my playing. I really enjoy big band music and had hoped to play guitar with a band like this for many, many years.
