Time: 9 p.m.

Cover:$20

 Kenny Shields and Streetheart  http://www.kennyshields.com/

Action,Action...read all about it! The song remains the same and Streetheart, just like that famous opening track from their debut album, are still an important and enduring part of Canadian rock history. Formed in 1976, Kenny Shields, Daryl Gutheil, Spider Sinnaeve, Paul Dean and Matt Frenette began winning audiences over with their combination of raw talent and musical power. Led by Kenny the band built a strong and loyal fan base and the release of "Meanwhile Back in Paris…" showed this was a band with a very exciting future. "Meanwhile" quickly went platinum and the band received a Juno for "Most Promising Canadian Group". Streetheart followed that with a string of gold and platinum albums as well as a gold single for their definitive version of the Rolling Stones’ "Under My Thumb". They kept building their audience throughout the country and although there were member changes — with John Hannah replacing Paul Dean on "Under Heaven, Over Hell" and Herb Ego replacing Matt Frenette on "Quicksand Shoes" — Kenny, Daryl and Spider remained the constant and definined the Streetheart sound with their self-produced "Drugstore Dancer". In 1981 Jeff Neill took over for John Hannah as guitarist and along with the Kenny, Daryl and Spider, wrote and produced the most successful album of their career - the self-titled "Streetheart" album. It still remains a fan favorite today and contains many of Streetheart’s most popular songs. However, time and the task of trying to break through into the US market finally took its toll on the band. With justifiable internal frustration and management incapable of doing the type of business that was needed to be successful, the boys called it quits in 1984.

2003 WCMA Hall of Fame InducteesFast forward to 2003...
Ladies and Gentlemen… will you please welcome this year's Inductees into the Western Canadian Hall of Fame, Kenny Shields and Streetheart. An honour for only a select few artists, Kenny and Streetheart were inducted into the Hall of Fame based on their impressive legacy of excellence and their undiminished fan loyalty which is still so strong even to this day. After 30 years, Kenny and the band continue to play with a fierce energy and precision that other bands would be hard-pressed to match and they remain a benchmark in their industry. Everyone from veteran promoters to longtime loyal fans can’t help but be impressed at how GOOD this band still is. Just come to a show and watch the band work. You’ll agree this isn’t just hype. Kenny, Daryl and Jeff along with current members Jake Jacobs and Tim Sutton continue to do what Streetheart has always done from the very beginning which is to deliver high quality shows fueled by an "absolutely everything they’ve got" attitude. It’s all done with a level of ease and confidence that only comes with their kind of experience. That, combined with great songs, is a major part of what makes their shows so memorable. They know their fans deserve the best and this only highlights the level of friendship and respect the band have for each other, as well as for the history of Streetheart. If you haven’t seen Kenny Shields and Streetheart lately, you owe it to yourself to see one of Canada’s premier bands, and see that after 3 decades and a million records sold, what made the band so special then is still so clearly evident today. 

Kenny Shields was born and raised in the farming community of Nokomis Saskatchewan, and his passion for music and entertaining emerged at the age of six when he entered and won an amateur talent show. While continuing his interest in music and singing, upon graduation from secondary school he moved to Saskatoon to attend university but was immediately recruited by the city’s premiere band – Witness Incorporated.

Kenny’s lifelong dream began to take shape as the band built a loyal fan base across the country, scoring with a string of national radio hits including "I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow", "Jezebel" and "Harlem Lady, all featuring Kenny’s unmistakable vocals. After touring with such legendary artists as Roy Orbison and Cream, tragedy struck in 1970 when Shields was critically injured in an automobile accident that sidetracked him from music for several years.

In 1975, after a period of convalescence, Kenny moved to Winnipeg to join a band originally from Saskatchewan called Wascana, whose members included bassist Spider Sinnaeve and keyboard player Daryl Gutheil. The voice was re-energized, the stamina returned, the band gelled, and after relocating to Saskatoon, they became Witness again.

While on the Alberta touring circuit, Shields struck up a friendship with guitarist Paul Dean and drummer Matt Frenette and in October 1976, with Witness having finished its run, Kenny, Paul, Matt, Spider, and Daryl began rehearsals in Regina, the five forming the quintessential prairie powerhouse band of the late 1970s and early 1980s - Streetheart. With stunning instrumental talent, and with Shields, the “born entertainer armed with one of the greatest voices in rock” up front, Streetheart quickly found success, selling into the millions and headlining shows from coast to coast. Kenny and Streetheart recorded a total of six studio albums and one double live album.

The band topped the Canadian charts with non-stop hits such as "Action", "Hollywood", “Here Comes the Night”, "Under My Thumb", "Tin Soldier", "Look In Your Eyes", "What Kind of Love Is This", "One More Time" and "Snow White" – all songs that remain standards on radio playlists. Along the way they earned a total of six gold albums, four platinum albums, a gold single, two Ampex Golden Reel awards, a Music Express Peoples' Choice Award as Most Popular Canadian act, and a Juno Award.

After almost forty years of weaving his magic with audiences, and with a voice as clear and resilient as ever, Kenny credits teenage daughter Julia as inspiration for continuing to live his childhood dream. In September 2003, as befits a national institution, Kenny Shields and Streetheart were inducted into the Western Canadian Music Association Hall of Fame.

Jeff Neill— guitar

Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, guitarist Jeff Neill’s earliest musical influences came via his parents record collection, his favorites being The Everly Brothers and Chubby Checker. However, it was the British Invasion of 1964 and primarily The Beatles, that really inspired Jeff. By the time he was 11, Jeff was playing bass and singing in any neighborhood band that could perform recognizable versions of Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix or You Keep Me Hangin’ On by the Vanilla Fudge. It was also during those early years that Jeff discovered two of the greatest things about being in a rock and roll band... girls and cigarettes.

At 14, Jeff switched from bass to guitar. He went down to the local pawn shop/pool hall and traded in his bass for a cheap electric six string. It was a shrewd business move that he would inform his parents about a week or so later. Always supportive, Mom and Dad weren’t quite sure about this but after an energetic version of Hendrix’s "The Star Spangled Banner" they were truly convinced... it was already too late.

By the mid 70’s Jeff was enjoying success on the Western Canadian club scene with his band Shama. Another popular band on the circuit was Kenny Shields and Witness. It was during this time that Jeff met Kenny, Daryl, Spider and Bob and he got to see for himself how good those guys really were. When Streetheart came out, Jeff followed the band’s career as both a friend and as a fan and when Jeff was given the opportunity to audition for Streetheart in the spring of 1981, it was likely his passion and knowledge of the band that secured him the job. Jeff’s debut album was the self titled "Streetheart" and this record would go on to become the band’s biggest seller of all time. Jeff co-wrote all of the songs on that album with Kenny, Daryl and Spider and it would be the first in a series of platinum awards that Jeff would subsequently earn throughout his career.

After Streetheart broke up in 1984, Jeff returned to his home in Vancouver and began building a reputation for himself as a session guitarist. In the spring of 1986 he was asked to do a tour in the US with Australian icon Jimmy Barnes. What started out as 3 months of shows opening for ZZ Top grew into an 11 year career that would ultimately see Jeff move to Australia and tour worldwide with Jimmy. Jeff lived in the south of France and London during the early 90’s as they focused on Jimmy’s expanding European market. Jeff would earn several multi-platinum records as a writer and guitarist with Jimmy and together they would headline hundreds of shows and share the stage with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Sting and INXS amongst many others.

Jeff returned to Canada in 1997 and put his energy back into the recording studio working as a writer and arranger for Disney. He was also a featured composer and performer on numerous international television and radio advertising campaigns during that time period. Jeff had been doing some Streetheart shows off and on until late in 2003 when he and Kenny agreed to have at it one more time and Jeff has been back with the band since then. Jeff brings his considerable experience and influence to the stage every night and his enthusiasm for the music and the fans is obvious. When he isn’t involved with Streetheart’s business or renovating his house and studio, Jeff continues to work as a music producer/composer and plays an active role in artist development and management. He intends to break par this year and knows that two of the most important things about being in a rock and roll band are, always remember where you come from and if you ever get lost, stop soloing and get back to the groove.

DARYL GUTHEIL  Keyboards


Growing up in a musical family in Regina, Daryl’s first instruction was on the trumpet at the age of seven. Soon after, his singing skills began to surface when he joined a semi-professional boy’s vocal group that included his older brother Don. The experience proved invaluable, as the group performed around Western Canada, made numerous appearances on television, recorded music for educational radio broadcasts, and released a number of record albums.

While continuing on the trumpet with local concert and jazz bands, Daryl’s interest in rock music was solidified at age 13 when his parents gave him an electric guitar. Within a few months he and his brother were playing with the Andantes, one of the city’s top young rock bands. Over the next few years the group performed at high school dances, town halls, and summer resorts around the prairies, eventually recording a single and touring the Midwest and Pacific Northwest states.

Becoming interested in the keyboard at age 16, it quickly became his main instrument, and in 1970 he joined Wascana, a six piece group featuring a full horn section. The band went on to enjoy success as session musicians and on the college and club circuit throughout Western Canada and the American Midwest, and Daryl began to gain experience creating horn arrangements for radio and television ads, and writing songs for the band. It was also during this period that Daryl came in contact with bassist Spider Sinnaeve and vocalist Kenny Shields. The three were soon working together in a reincarnation of Kenny’s former band Witness.

In October 1976 Streetheart was born when Daryl, Spider, and Kenny, along with guitarist Paul Dean and drummer Matt Frenette met in Regina to begin two months of writing and rehearsing. The all-night sessions led to a major recording contract and in the fall of 1977 the band entered a Toronto studio to begin production of their debut album, the classic ‘Meanwhile Back in Paris…’. Writing and co-writing material on all of the band’s releases, Daryl’s soaring backing vocals and rhythmically refined keyboard approach have left a lasting imprint on the Streetheart sound.

In recent years, in addition to raising three kids with his wife Kathy, Daryl has continued performing with Streetheart, has toured Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, and has guested on keyboards, trumpet, guitar, and vocals on more than two dozen albums. In 2003, Daryl Gutheil and his fellow Streetheart bandmates were inducted into the Western Canadian Music Association Hall of Fame.

 Jake Jacobs bass

 Although the "new kid" on the Streetheart block, Jake is an established and highly regarded bassist/instrument technician with a vast wealth of experience. Born in New England but raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, his musical family proved influential as Jake picked up the bass at the age of 12. Halifax’s fertile school music system solidified his love for music, and a gig with a commercial rock band proved too persuasive a force for the impressionable youth to resist and he decided to make music a full time profession. The early 80’s was the end of the era of having many musical styles on any single radio station, and fortunately Jake was able to cut his teeth while jobbing in many diverse and demanding style and gig situations. The late 80’s were spent in Vancouver where Jake’s wife, Katy, studied music therapy and Jake played with numerous groups, including the legendary Powder Blues Band. Returning to Nova Scotia to start a family in ‘89, he spent the next decade touring with a succession of successful Celtic artists, including The Rankin Family, The Barra MacNeils and Natalie MacMaster. Jake and his family settled in Winnipeg in 2004, where the rich music scene welcomed them with open arms.

Although he has toured throughout Canada, the United States, much of Western Europe and parts of the Caribbean he is primarily known for his stylistic prowess and consummate studio sensibility. These abilities have seen Jake through over 30 professional theatre productions, dozens of television appearances, over one hundred individual cd sessions, hundreds of jingle and promotional sessions and literally thousands of live performances. He counts as fellow life travelers the hundreds of artists which he has accompanied including Amos Garrett, Peter Rowan, Anne Murray, Rita MacNeil, Ben E. King, Mark O’Connor, The Shuffle Demons, Ramsey Lewis, Cindy Church, Alfie Zappacosta and others. Jake has had more than two dozen equipment reviews published in Guitar World’s Bass Guitar magazine. While devoting himself whole-heartedly to taking the reins of the manic Streetheart bass chair, Jake remains the musical director/bassist for the Rankin Family and bassist for the Rankin Sisters and the Ron Paley Band.
 

 Tim Sutton— Drums

Tim was given his first drum kit at the age of five and began taking lessons two years later.
Gaining valuable experience as a percussionist with various Winnipeg high school concert and jazz bands, he later continued his studies at the University of Manitoba School of Music.

At 18 Tim, whose personal influences include Vinnie Caliuta, Tony Williams, Jeff Porcaro, and Matt Frenette, began to break into the local music scene, quickly becoming a sought-after drummer known for his expertise onstage and in the recording studio. As well as recording tracks for a number of musical theatre productions, Tim has appeared on more than 50 albums.

In his experience recording and touring with country music stars Chris Cummings, Tara Lynne Hart, and with Guess Who alumnus Greg Leskiw and legendary entertainer Ray St. Germain, Tim has performed throughout Canada and the United States. His dedication to, and knowledge of different musical forms has allowed him to bring a full range of skills and styles to whatever he does.

Tim Sutton uses Pearl drums, Sabian cymbals, and is endorsed by Levy’s Cases.