Shona Laing
| Shona Laing | |
|---|---|
 Shona Laing performing at WOMAD 2009 in New Zealand |
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| Background information | |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Associated acts | Manfred Mann's Earth Band |
Shona Laing (born 9 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician. She has had several hits in her native country, as well as a few minor international hits, most notably "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" and "Soviet Snow". Laing also contributed to the Manfred Mann's Earth Band album Somewhere in Afrika. Laing also contributed music to, and appeared in, the 1985 action film Shaker Run.[1]
Currently she resides in New Zealand and occasionally plays live shows, enjoying a small but devoted fan base.
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[edit] Musical career
Laing first came to prominence in 1972 as a 17-year-old schoolgirl, winning the television talent show "New Faces" with her song 1905. Signed to a recording contract with Phonogram, her first two singles, 1905 and Show your Love both certified gold and both peaked at number 4 on the New Zealand charts. In 1973 she won two Rata awards: Best New Artist and Recording Artist Of The Year.[2] Laing twice represented New Zealand at the Tokyo, in 1973 (with the song Masquerade) and 1974. In 1975 she travelled to Britain and was based there for the next seven years, where in 1982, she was a vocalist for Manfred Mann's Earth Band alongside fellow New Zealander, Chris Thompson.
[edit] Private life
During a concert on July 18, 1996, Shona Laing came out as bisexual and noted that she was in a relationship with another woman.[3][dead link][4]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
- "1905" (1972)
- "Show Your Love" (1973)
- "Masquerade" (1973)
- "Someone To Be With" (1973)
- "One In A Miilion" (1985)
- "(Glad I'm) Not A Kennedy" (1986) #2 NZ, #14 U.S. Modern Rock
- "Drive Baby Drive" (1987) #45 NZ
- "Soviet Snow" (1987) #32 U.S. Dance
- "Caught" (1987)
[edit] Albums
- Whispering Afraid (1972)
- Shooting Stars Are Only Seen At Night (1974)
- Tied To The Tracks (1982)
- Genre (1985)
- South (1987)
- Virgin Records release, original version of album
- Epic Records release, different set of tracks / track order
- 1905–1990 Retrospective* (1991)
- New on Earth (1992)
- Shona (1994)
- Roadworks (1997)
- The Essential Shona Laing* (2002)
- PASS THE WHISPER 2007
[edit] References
- ^ Shaker Run at imdb
- ^ Shona Laing biography
- ^ A Lesbian Decade: September 1990- September 2000 (from The Auckland Women's Centre's website)
- ^ A Chronology of Homosexuality in New Zealand
[edit] External links
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