Dave Shannon moved to Sale with his wife Linda in the early 1970s and joined the club as a hockey player. He was by then well established on the folk circuit in a duo (formerly a trio including another Irish musician, Sam Bracken) with Fiona Simpson called Therapy. Fiona, with a voice very similar to Joni Mitchell, did most of the lead vocals, with Dave accompanying her on the guitar, harmonising and doing his own vocals. They were musically excellent, but the thing which endeared them further to folk audiences was Dave's easy and witty patter. As with his musical arrangement, Dave managed to make his patter appear natural, unforced and off the cuff. His warm and engaging personality created an intimacy and appeal which made Therapy hugely popular with audiences as well as with other artists on the same circuit – including Mike Harding, Jake Thackeray, Jasper Carrott , Bernard Wrigley, Cosmotheka and 1812 – all of whom Dave brought to the club (at special rates) at different times for a series of folk evenings which packed the ballroom. Dave also appeared in a number of the reviews which I wrote and directed at this time where his brilliance in holding things together musically given an amateur cast and hurried last minute rehearsals not only revealed his fantastic skill (he had perfect pitch)but also his lack of self-importance. He was a gifted but modest and self-effacing man. Many years later, we worked together when I directed 'Oliver'at Sale Grammar School – with his son, Davy, and my sons in the cast – and he played the piano and re-arranged the music to suit the pitch of inexperienced vocalists. Again, he revealed a willingness to roll his sleeves up, work hard and bring his fantastic ability to bear without any hint of superiority.
Meanwhile Dave was a long-serving and gutsy centre half, largely on the hockey second team and later the vets, and in his hockey he again showed his character. He worked tirelessly (he was a keen trainer) and strained every sinew to make a tackle or to reach a pass. He was fiercely competitive – yet utterly sporting, courteous and fair-minded.
Moving from his life as a performer, Dave became a producer with the BBC, working with Mark Lamarr, Paul Jones and the great 'Whispering' Bob Harris. Dave was a through and knowledgeable professional, working long hours to stitch his programmes together and to provide his presenters with the material that made them seem to be founts of knowledge. His greatest pleasure in his long time with Radio 2, was his frequent trips to Nashville where the music he most loved (his tastes were catholic and as well as country he loved classical music, especially renaissance music and jazz) was staged at the Grand Ole Opry. His only fault was his self-critical perfectionism which sometimes stressed him and caused him to drive himself and work long hours.
Fifteen years or so ago, Joe Holt, Tony Roberts and I persuaded Dave to take up tennis and as a relative beginner he joined us nearly every Friday evening for many years (the beginnings of the current Friday night squad.) He soon got the hang of the game and exhibited all the same qualities he had elsewhere. He never gave up on the ball – always chasing it down believing he could get it back – and frequently doing so. He never disputed a line call and always gave praise while accepting it modestly. In the bar, as in any setting, he was a great conversationalist and a ready wit.
Dave Shannon was a fine and admirable man of incredible talent and character. We shall all miss him and feel that he, and we, have been cruelly cheated of his third career. Dave had returned to being a performer, whether jamming informally with like-minded enthusiasts, playing in the streets for charity with Loose Change (they have raised £50,000 for Cancer Research) or playing gigs like the sessions at the club so enjoyed by myself and his other followers – and the larger functions in the ballroom such as those to raise money for the club or for the village school in Nepal. Even for his closest fans, the Monday session crowd, Dave put in a fantastic effort in arrangement and rehearsal, never repeating a number, always a store of knowledge, always humble, grateful for applause, a witty response at hand for any heckle or banter, a quiet satisfaction at a job superbly done. To watch him at close quarters was a privilege – his guitar playing was brilliant as was his work on the key board; he was a musician, and a man, of the highest order – we have been privileged to have our lives touched by him.