Shona Laing (born 9 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician. She was raised in Eastbourne, a suburb of Lower Hutt, and was a student at Hutt Valley High School when her musical talents first came to public notice. Laing had several folk hits in her native country and in the 1980s became internationally popular for her alternative music, most notably "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" and "Soviet Snow" which was based on the Chernobyl disaster. Various alternative radio stations in the US such as WLIR played songs from her "South" album and she became internationally known. Laing contributed to Manfred Mann's Earth Band album Somewhere in Afrika and contributed music to, and appeared in, the 1985 action film Shaker Run.
Musical career Laing first came to prominence in 1972 as a 17-year-old schoolgirl, coming runner-up in the television talent show New Faces with her song "1905". She signed a recording contract with Phonogram. Her first two singles, "1905" and "Show Your Love" were both certified gold and each peaked at number 4 on the New Zealand charts. In 1973, she won two RATA awards: Best New Artist and Recording Artist Of The Year. Laing twice represented New Zealand at the Tokyo Music Festival, in 1973 (with the song "Masquerade") and 1974. In 1975, she relocated to Britain and was based there for the next seven years during which time she released a number of singles and an album, Tied to the Tracks in 1981. She joined Manfred Mann's Earth Band for two years, working alongside English musician Chris Thompson for the album Somewhere in Afrika.
Laing returned to New Zealand in 1983, and released her album Genre two years later, in 1985. The song "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" eventually charted in Australia, and was re-released as part of her next album, South. The song reached No. 2 on the NZ Singles Chart in August 1987. Laing won the APRA Silver Scroll in 1988 for "Soviet Snow" and in 1992 for "Mercy of Love".
Laing was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame as the Legacy Award recipient at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards in November 2013. South was awarded the IMNZ Classic Record Award at the 2020 Taite Music Prize.
Personal life During a concert on 18 July 1996, Laing said she was bisexual and in a relationship with another woman.
Discography Albums Year Title Details Peak chartpositions NZ AUS N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988. 1972 Whispering Afraid Label: Vertigo/Philips/Phonogram International — — 1974 Shooting Stars Are Only Seen at Night Label: Philips/Phonogram International Catalogue: 6334 012 — — 1981 Tied to the Tracks Label: EMI Odeon/Parlophone Catalogue: EMC 3360 — — 1985 Genre Label: Pagan Records/Virgin Catalogue: PAL 1004 — — 1987 South Label: Pagan Records/Virgin/TVT Catalogue: PAL 1031/208 735 16 62 1992 New on Earth Label: Columbia/Epic/Sony Music Catalogue: 471514-2 4 — 1994 Shona Label: TriStar Music/Epic Catalogue: WK 66165 35 — 1997 Roadworks Label: Columbia Records/Sony Music Catalogue: 488241-2 — — 2007 Pass the Whisper Released: 1 November 2007 Label: Independent label — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Compilation albums
Year Title Details Peak chartpositions NZ 1991 1905–1990 Retrospective 19 2002 The Essential Shona Laing Label: Columbia Catalogue: 5096842000 — 2020 Hindsight Label: Frenzy — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Singles
Year Title Peak chart positions Album NZ AUS USDance USMod.Rock 1972 "1905" 4 — — — Whispering Afraid 1973 "Show Your Love" 4 — — — "Masquerade" 11 — — — "Someone to Be With" — — — — Non-album single 1974 "I'm Crying Too" — — — — Shooting Stars Are Only Seen at Night 1974 “Happy Song” - - - - ‘’Shooting Stars Are Only Seen At Night’’ 1975 "Don't You Think It's Time" — — — — Non-album single "I Love My Feet" 39 — — — Whispering Afraid 1980 "Whistling Waltzes" — — — — Tied to the Tracks "Don't Tell Me" — — — —1981"Overboard"————Tied to the Tracks 1981 "Bundle of Nerves" — — — — Non-album single 1984 "America" 44 — — — Genre 1985 "Not a Kennedy" — — — — "One in a Million" — — — — 1987 "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" 2 9 — 14 South "Drive Baby Drive" 45 65 — — "Soviet Snow" — — 32 — "Caught (Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea)" — — — — 1992 "Walk Away (42nd Street)" 14 — — — New on Earth "Fear of Falling" 26 — — — "Thief to Silver" 35 — — — 1993 "Mercy of Love" — — — — 1994 "Kick Back" — — — — Shona "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Awards
New Zealand Music Awards
| 1973 | Shona Laing | Recording Artist of the Year
| 1973 | Shona Laing | Best New Artist
| 1985 | Shona Laing – Genre | Album of the Year
| 1987 | "Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" – Shona Laing | Single of the Year
| 1987 | Shona Laing | Best Female Vocalist
| 1987 | Shona Laing | International Achievement
| 1987 | Kerry Brown and Bruce Sheridan – "Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" (Shona Laing) | Best Video
| 1987 | Shona Laing | Best Songwriter
| 1988 | Shona Laing – South | Album of the Year
| 1988 | Shona Laing | Best Female Vocalist
| 1988 | Shona Laing | International Achievement
| 1988 | Stephen McCurdy, Shona Laing and Graeme Myhre – "South" | Best Producer
| 1994 | Shona Laing | Best Female Vocalist
| 1995 | Shona Laing – Shona | Album of the Year
| 2013 | Shona Laing | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame
Taite Music Prize
| 2020 | South | IMNZ Classic Record award
References
External links AudioCulture profile Shona Laing Biography