Shannon Hoon, the former lead singer of Blind Melon was born on September 26, 1967. Hoon was a great talent, but he was haunted by drug problems throughout his life.
Unfortunately, he died at the young age of 28 on October 21, 1995, unable to defeat his addiction, dying of a drug overdose. He was found dead on the tour bus when a roadie went to wake him for a sound check for a performance at Tipitina’s in New Orleans.
Most of us remember Hoon fondly, partly because of his great and unique voice. But I think we connect to him in a special way because we associate him with the themes of the video for his band’s biggest hit, “No Rain,” off the band’s 1992 self-titled debut CD
That video features “the Bee Girl,” who is an outcast struggling in a world where she does not fit in, and then she eventually finds a welcoming crowd where she fits. The story is so sweet, we cannot help but love the hippie-looking guy with the odd voice singing the song. Of course, the band and Hoon were much more than this song and video, but it reminds us that it is too bad that he did not get to make a lot more music.
Heather DeLoach appeared as the “Bee Girl” in the above Blind Melon music video for “No Rain.” She became an actress but does not hide from her early fame as the “Bee Girl,” even having a Facebook page devoted to the striped little girl.
The album cover, however, features someone who is not DeLoach. The girl on the album cover is Georgia Graham, the sister of Blind Melon drummer Glen Graham. In 2006, Blind Melon reformed with a new lead singer, Travis Warren.
Be sure to celebrate Hoon’s birthday by being kind to all the Bee Girls and Bee Boys out there. Of course, that includes you too.
What are your memories of Blind Melon and “No Rain”? Leave a comment.
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