Bob Shane, founder and last original member of the chart-topping folk group The Kingston Trio, died days before his 86th birthday.
The singer and songwriter, who was instrumental in the revival of folk music in the late 50s, suffered from complications arising from pneumonia Sunday, which led to his death, USA Today reported. His birthday is Feb. 1.
The Kingston Trio was formed in San Francisco in 1957. The original lineup featured Shane, Dave Guard, and Nick Reynold, who became a force to be reckoned with when the band gained traction shortly after it was founded.
The band released a series of chart-topping singles and albums, and won a Grammy in 1959 for its hit single "Tom Dooley" but, because there was no folk category in the music awards at the time, they won in the Country & Western category.
The following year a folk category was incorporated into the Grammys to cater to groups like The Kingston Trio.
Tension between the members began to develop over the years and ultimately led to the original trio's downfall. Despite multiple roster changes and legal battles, a group continues to perform as The Kingston Trio today.
Guard died in 1991, Shane retired in 2004 and Reynolds died in 2008 however, the band's legacy lived on. Keeping the flame alive was Shane, who would occasionally perform solo.
Shane's widow, Bobbie Childress, acknowledged his musical talent to USA Today.
"He always said he wasn’t a folk singer. He was a folks singer," she said. "He really loved entertaining" and The Kingston Trio's vibe was "just pure fun and entertainment. They made people feel good."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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