A
Biography of Shannon Hoon
From Staff Reports
Lafayette Journal and Courier
October 1995
Shannon Hoon -- a Lafayette native and lead singer of the multi-million album
selling band Blind Melon -- died Saturday afternoon in New Orleans. He was 28.
Here is a chronology of his rise to national fame:
Spring
1986 -- A standout athlete in football, wrestling and track, Hoon graduates
from McCutcheon High School.
February 1988 -- Hoon fronts Styff Kytten, a Lafayette cover band that includes
Lafayetteguitarist Mike Kelsey. In a Journal and Courier feature story about
Styff Kytten, the band's manager says: "Shannon's got that desire. You
look at him and automatically know he's a band member. He's got the persona
of a front man. You never want to take your eye off him because you never know
what he's going to do."
Spring
1990 -- After several scrapes with Lafayette police and hoping to follow in
the footsteps of fellow Lafayette native, Axl Rose of Guns n' Roses, Hoon leaves
Lafayette for Los Angeles.
March
1991 -- Hoon and his new band, Blind Melon, sign a $500,000 recording contract
with Capitol Records. He tells the Journal and Courier, "I wanted to make
a CD they would sell at Musicland in Tippecanoe Mall. I wanted to show them
I could do something with my life, and I have." Blind Melon moves from
Los Angeles to Chapel Hill, N.C., to work on new material and to live together
in a home they dub "Sleepy House."
Fall
1991 -- At the invitation of Axl Rose, Hoon sings backup vocals and appears
in the Guns n' Roses video, "Don't Cry," a major MTV hit. Dubbed the
mysterious man in flannel, Hoon's appearance gives Blind Melon a national buzz.
April
1992 -- Blind Melon goes on the MTV 120 Minutes Tour with Big Audio Dynamite
II, Public Image Ltd. and Live. Blind Melon releases "Dear Ole Dad,"
a video that receives airtime on MTV's 120 Minutes.
September
1992 -- Blind Melon releases its self-titled debut on Capitol Records. RollingStone
says Hoon "at times sounds eerily like Janis Joplin." The record's
homey,folk-meets-alternative sound gets good marks, but sales are quiet.
Oct.
26, 1992 -- Hoon brings Blind Melon to West Lafayette for a sold-out show at
Nick's.
June
1993 -- Capitol releases the Blind Melon single, "No Rain." The arresting
video --featuring a misfit girl in a bee suit and Hoon's engaging vocals --
becomes a huge hit and wins heavy rotation on MTV and pop radio. Blind Melon
reaches No. 3 on the Billboard charts that summer. The record sells more than
2 million copies. The band tours constantly, opening shows for Soundgarden and
Neil Young, among others.
October
1993 -- Hoon faces nudity and indecent exposure charges after he strips onstageduring
a concert in Vancouver, B.C.
Nov.
11, 1993 -- Blind Melon appears on the cover of Rolling Stone. The band poses
nude. Hoon gets more attention, though, for wearing braided pigtails.
February
1994 -- Hoon is charged for attacking a security guard during the taping of
the American Music Awards.
March
1994 -- Blind Melon is nominated for Grammy Awards in Best New Artist and BestRock
Performance categories. The band doesn't win.
August
1994 -- Blind Melon performs at Woodstock II.
July
11, 1995 -- Hoon becomes a father, when girlfriend Lisa Crouse gives birth to
a girl.
August
1995 -- After months of recording in New Orleans, Blind Melon releases Soup.
The first single, "Galaxie," peaks at No. 8 on Billboard's modern
rock tracks chart.
Sept.
25, 1995 -- Blind Melon plays the Egyptian Room at the Murat Temple in Indianapolis.Hoon
introduces his daughter, Blue, to the crowd: "Tonight's my daughter's first
rock 'n' roll event." The tour is one of the first dates on a three-month,
U.S. and Canadian tour.
Oct.
21, 1995 -- Band members find Hoon dead on the tour bus before a date in NewOrleans.
Officials are investigating the cause of death.
