The Music of Del Shannon

Charles Westover grew up in a small midwestern townlearning guitar at an early age. After graduating high school he joined the Army married and shipped off to Europe where he honed his singing and guitar skills. Back home Westover joined a local band while working at a carpet store.Soon he co-wrote Runaway one of the great rock and roll songs of the era and took on the stage name Del Shannon. Shannon went on to record many more hits and became a superb interpreter of the songs of other. He was the first American recording artist to cover a Beatles' tune wrote Peter and Gordon's I Go to Pieces and produced hit records for Brian Hyland and and the rock group Smith. At a time when his career seemed to be on the upswing Shannon's live ended tragically at his Southern California home. A rock legend himself he would eventually be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If you appreciate the great rock singers of the past you will want to read The Music of Del Shannon.