Kenny Shore
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Talented singer/songwriter Kenny Shore plays a Tuesday evening show at the Irregardless Cafe. Kenny has the ability to play everything from Rock to Folk to Zydeco - and everything in between. He is at his best in a solo setting where he shares insight into his songs. (April, 2012) - The Raleigh Public Record
Singer-songwriter Kenny Shore figured he could get some radio airplay with his latest song, "Chasing Clay". He just didn't figure it would happen so fast.
Having chased Clay Aiken, the "American Idol" star and Raleigh's favorite hometown hero, around the Nov. 22 Raleigh Christmas parade, Shore wrote and recorded the song over the Thanksgiving weekend. He dropped off a copy at radio station WRAL-FM, 101.5 FM on his way to work at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Fifteen minutes later, "Chasing Clay" was on the air.
"I've been thinking for years that I needed to come up with something topical and fast as a way to get on the radio, " said Shore, who by day is a clinical social worker at Dorothea Dix Hospital. "Danged if it didn't work."
Shore's three children are big Aiken fans, so he took them to the parade because Aiken was grand marshal. Afer Aiken blew a kis to Shore's daughter, they decided to follow him through the crowd for the rest of the parade route. Shore wrote the song a few days later, complete with a reference to the "big bad beefy bodyguards with his motorcade."
"it won't be in regular rotation, but we'll probably play it once in a while," said Joe Wade Formicola, WRAL's operations manager, "It's a a pretty cool little song, and there's definitely Clay-mania."
Shore hopes this won't be the last time he can benefit from an Aiken connection. He has written another song called "Where Does Love Go" which he figures is perfect for Aiken to cover. So Shore sought out the singer's mother at the parade to give her a copy.
"I handed her a CD and said, "Here, this is a copy of Clay's next hit,' "Shore said, laughing at his own nerve. "Clay's a mama's boy, so you go through Mom. I figure if I get her on my side, I'm in and I can quit my day job."
By David Menconi - Raleigh News & Observer
Discography
"One Breath At A Time" - 2001 CD release, available at www.cdbaby.com/shore1;
"Chasing Clay" - 2003 1 song CD release available at www.cdbaby.com/shore2;
"Psychopopfolkabilly" - 2004 CD release available at www.cdbaby.com/shore3
"Bubblegum Train" - 2009 release available at www.cdbaby.com/shore4
All cd's are also available for download on iTunes.
Photos
Bio
Kennys been performing regionally over the past 25 years in colleges, clubs, coffeehouses, schools, etc. In the 1980s his band, Dayroom Monitors played the North Carolina club scene and received plenty of critical praise, but broke up before landing that elusive record deal (several labels were interested)
So after splitting up the band Kenny headed off to New York City and studied audio engineering at the Institute of Audio Research. At S.I.R. Rehearsal Studios and 321 Recording Studios (formerly the Record Plant) he worked with lots of great people including John Lennons producer, Jack Douglas, and several artists such as Mariah Carey, Harry Connick, Jr., Johnny Winter and Paul Shaffer. Kenny performed in the City, at The Speakeasy a folk club in the Village and on occasion in the subways for tips. He moved back to NC in 1990 where he entered graduate school, receiving a Masters in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1995. He's also the proud parent of 3 kids. But all along hes kept performing and released an 8 song cassette in 1996 called 8 Shell and a 10 song CD, One Breath at a Time in 2001. In 2003 his comedy song "Chasing Clay" hit the airwaves in Raleigh, via WRAL FM, causing a stir nationwide among Clay Aiken fans.
In 2004 he released the CD Psychopopfolkabilly! now available online and at performances.
In 2006, his baseball song, Ernie Shore, was released on the baseball compilation CD "Diamond Cuts IX", released by Hungry For Music, a non-profit agency providing musical instruments to low income children. The song will also be used in a documentary on the former Red Sox pitcher (and relative).
From 2005 to 2007, Kenny was a full-time preschool music teacher, contracting exclusively with 5 different Bright Horizons preschools in the Raleigh/Cary area. During that time Kenny wrote many childrens songs which led to him becoming a 2008 recipient of a Raleigh Arts Council grant to complete a childrens CD, which was released in 2009 and titled "Bubblegum Train". It's available at www.cdbaby.com and iTunes.
Career highlights include showcasing at the 2003 Nashville New Music Conference as well as the 2003 NACA South Regional Conference in Chattanooga, TN. He has opened for singer/fiddler/storyteller Mike Cross, as well as Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, indie songwriter/producer Chris Stamey, songwriter/producer Don Dixon, singer/songwriter Michael Reno Harrell and many others. He also performs on occasion with singer/songwriter and good friend, George Huntley, formerly of the Connells. He's performed at many colleges across the Southeast including Concord University (Athens, WV), NC State University. (Raleigh, NC), Armstrong Atlantic State University. (Savannah, GA), High Point University, Wake Forest University. and many others. He also plays the rub board (aka "frottoir") with the band, "Zydecopious" on occasion.
Now living in Winston Salem, NC, he recently formed a new acoustic band with former Dayroom Monitors bandmate, Dave Dixon, with Henry Heidtmann on bass. They're called the Twang Doctors. And now, he's enjoying the benefits of being on both sides of the recording glass with his new studio ( "Bodenheimer Studio"), using Pro Tools, etc. (Gonna Love You was recorded there - give it a listen).
He is available as a acoustic/electric solo act or with a bass player/drummer trio.
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