Mem Shannon

Mem Shannon (born December 21, 1959, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States) is an American blues musician. He is currently signed to Toronto's NorthernBlues Music. Shannon is a former taxi-cab driver turned bluesman.

Early life Shannon played both clarinet and guitar by the age of fifteen, due to being inspired by his father's collection of blues records. However, he started seriously practicing only after seeing B.B. King. Songs on the album featured snippets of actual conversations from his customers while in the cab.

His song "S.U.V." (2002), won Living Blues magazine's Critics Poll Song of the Year, as well as receiving a Blues Music Award nomination for song of the year.

Shannon appeared as himself in the 2008 novel, Bad Moon Rising by Jonathan Maberry. He is one of several real-world celebrities who are in the fictional town of Pine Deep when monsters attack. Other celebrities included Tom Savini, Jim O'Rear, Brinke Stevens, Ken Foree, Stephen Susco, Debbie Rochon, James Gunn and Joe Bob Briggs. Shannon's name and persona appear coincidentally in two horror novels: Fat White Vampire Blues by Andrew Fox and the aforementioned Bad Moon Rising.

Discography A Cab Driver's Blues (1995) 2nd Blues Album (1997) Spend Some Time with Me (1999) Memphis in the Morning (2001) I'm From Phunkville (2005) Live: A Night at Tipitina's (2007)