Saskatchewan rock legends, Streetheart, are set to return to Kelowna for the first time since the passing of integral member and frontman, Kenny Shields.
Shields passed away in July of 2017 at the age of 69, just shy of a year after the group's performance at Kelowna’s first Rock the Lake festival in 2016.
Now, two years after the devastating loss, the band has regrouped to perform their iconic hits and carry on Shield's legacy at the request of their fans.
Photo credit: NowMedia
“After we lost him we took the next year and a half off because that was a very difficult time for us,” said guitarist Jeff Neill.
“We are very lucky that we have great fans who showed us so much support, they loved Kenny so much but they said to us, ‘please, do not stop playing’ and we took that into consideration.”
Following some much-needed time to heal, the band met up to discuss a plan of action for moving Streetheart forward, while still respecting Shields and his countless contributions to the group.
“You don’t replace Kenny Shields, that wasn’t what we were doing and we know our fans didn’t want that either, but we understand how important Streetheart’s music is to so many fans across Canada,” said Neill.
Photo credit: NowMedia
“We wanted to find someone who could sing our songs and who could do them well, so we auditioned a number of singers and one really stood out.”
That singer is Paul McNair, a fellow Regina resident and rocker known for his role as bass player in popular Canadian band, Harlequin.
“He knew our entire catalog beforehand and is a real pro — he has been touring for many years and is an excellent musician,” said Neill.
McNair’s first gig with the group was in August of 2017 for a tribute show to Shields — an occasion he more than rose to.
Photo credit: Streetheart facebook/ Don Windsor
“He did a wonderful job, and we thought to ourselves ‘this could be our guy’ and he has just proven himself and grown exponentially show after show.”
Since then the band has been working hard to preserve the legacy of their music and the spirit of their longtime frontman under their motto “Life. Legacy. Music” — which is also the title of their recently released greatest hits bundle.
“When we decided that we wanted to go forward we thought ‘how do we put this to people in a way so that they understand what it is that we are doing?’ We are celebrating the life, the legacy and the music of Streetheart,” said Neill.
Photo credit: Streetheart Facebook
“‘Life. Legacy. Music’ has taken on a life of its own. They are three simple words that really represent the spirit that we are playing Streetheart’s music in.”
The newly curated greatest hits record features remastered versions of the best songs from the band’s discography in addition to a bonus track that features the last ever vocal recordings from Shields.
A cover of the song “Nature’s Way” by Spirit, Neill says the addition of the song is a “lovely” and “poignant” tribute to the late singer.
“I think it's a lovely tribute to him, the lyrics are very poignant because they just talk about nature being in control and the very delicate balance of life,” he said.
“It touched a lot of people in a very sad, but very good memory, sort of way when they heard him sing it. We are very proud of it and grateful to be able to share this last piece of music with Kenny singing.”
According to Neill, their fans have been an integral part of keeping the motor of Streetheart running from showing their support in dark times to welcome their new singer with open arms.
“The fans loved Kenny, but they have been so supportive of us moving forward, they have really welcomed Paul and we are really grateful for that.”
“We like to say that the support gave us all something to lean on during a very difficult time for us and its because of them that we are going to keep playing to keep the name of Streetheart strong and treat the legacy of this band with great respect,” he added.
Streetheart will be back in the Okanagan for the second night of Rock the Lake’s fourth edition on August 10, 2019 — a performance Neill and the band are looking forward to.
“We have great memories of playing Rock the Lake in the summer of 2016 and coming back is just going to be a great experience,” he said.
“Kelowna rock and roll fans are just as good as anywhere else in the world and we are really looking forward to it. It is going to be a great weekend of music!”
