Shooting star band live biography
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Their original keyboardist, Bill Guffey, passed away on 12 April 2007. Shooting Star Live was released in 1996. Featuring the iconic hit songs written by Van McLain and Gary West; You've Got What I Need, Bring It On, Last Chance and more. With the full support from Van's family SHOOTING STAR continues to shine today.
Jan. Perhaps the title of the movie was appropo.
Undaunted, they added former Missouri front man Gary West to their ranks, singularized their name, became the first American band to ink a deal with Virgin Records, and released the self-titled Shooting Star in 1980 with none other than Gus Dudgeon at the production helm. But founding member Van McClain was the constant rock that kept the fire burning.
In 1986, the band split.
Three years later, on the strength of a best-of package, and a clamouring from their fans to get back together, Shooting Star re-united and signed with Enigma Records. Sadly though 2018 was also year of tremendous loss.
Through the years, Shooting Star endured their share of industry challenges and member changes.
The remaining members were determined to continue on to honor Van and keep his music alive.
2018 was the 38th Anniversary of the legendary Shooting Star debut album released in 1980. Arista Records dropped them almost as quickly as they had signed them, and it was back to Kansas City for some home-cooked barbecue. Van was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, which he gamely battled, and a chance meeting with Dudgeon protige Kevin Beamish led to the recording of a seventh Shooting Star album entitled Leap of Faith, which marked the twentieth anniversary of the band in 2000.
Shooting Star continues to play selected live events, and enjoy a hometown following in Kansas City, as well as an inscrutable popularity in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Burning was released in 1983 and included the hits “Straight Ahead”, “Train Rolls On”, and “Winner”.
Ron Verlin quit the band and was replaced in 1985 by bassist Norm Dahlor in time for the release of their fifth studio LP, Silent Scream. It’s Not Over turned out to be the fateful title of their follow-up album.
Sadly, Van McLain passed away in March of 2018. In the ’90s, the band acquired the rights to their music and shortly after the turn of the millennium, started up their own record label.
The band stopped performing in 2015 after Van McLain contracted West Nile virus and a Shooting Star Relief Concert took place in 2017 to assist him with this continuing recovery.
Shooting Star recordings
Preview (Instrumental) 2.
Eager to put a band together again, they reformed The Shooting Stars, with The Galaxys dancers, no less, and jumped on the early-’70s, ’50s-retro bandwagon, playing country clubs, fraternity parties, and sock hops. Much to their delight and surprise, they were snapped up by Arista Records. That very same month, Ronnie Platt replaced Kevin Chalfant on lead vocals.
The Shooting Stars actually started in the early ’60s as a garage band comprising two pairs of brothers, Craig & Van McElvain and John & Ron Verlin. Ron Verlin came back, as did Van McElvain, who had inexplicably shortened his last name at some point to “McLain”.
As recently as 2006, they recorded their eighth album, Circles. Dennis Laffoon, Rod Lincoln, and Keith Mitchell comprised the rest of the band.
“Touch Me Tonight” peaked at #67 on the Billboard chart, their biggest hit to date.