Del Shannon: 1934�1990

�His voice is like a siren,� Mike Campbell (lead guitarist for Tom Petty) said. �There is only one voice that does that sound, and that is Del Shannon�s.�

That voice has now been silenced. Del Shannon�real name Charles Westover�was an American rock legend in the 1960s with hit songs that included �Runaway,� �Keep Searching (We�ll Follow the Sun),� �Little Town Flirt� and �Do You Want to Dance?� Shannon taught himself to play guitar at age 13 by listening to country-western singers on radio. At 27, he wrote the innovative song �Runaway,� recorded it on January 21, 1961 and by April 1 it was a number-one U.S. hit. It also reached number one in 21 countries, and more than 200 artists, including Elvis Presley and Bonnie Raitt, recorded cover versions.

After his initial success, musical tastes changed and Shannon�s career declined in America, although he still enjoyed success as an artist and performer in England. By 1990, he was well on his way to making a comeback. Unlike many other performers, Shannon organized all of the scheduling of his shows himself, a stressful task considering he was planning a European tour. To handle this stress, he was referred to a psychiatrist who prescribed an antidepressant, which is known to cause suicidal tendencies.

On February 8, 1990, Charles Westover shot himself in the head with a .22 caliber rifle. With him died the hopes, dreams and artistry of Del Shannon.

My husband was �a well-informed and physically healthy man and father, [who] died violently after taking Prozac for only 15 days.�
� Leanne Westover, wife of Del Shannon

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