“Shannon”: Henry Gross, Sha Na Na, and a Beach Boys Dog

Shannon Dog

Henry Gross, who was born in Brooklyn on April 1 in 1951, was the youngest person to perform on the main stage at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969. At the time, he was eighteen years old, performing as one of the founding members of Sha Na Na. But Gross is best known for his song about a dog.

The members of Sha Na Na formed out of a Columbia University a cappella group that started performing under the Sha Na Na name in 1969.  The group, with Gross, eventually performed prior to Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock.

Some credit Sha Na Na’s short appearance in the Woodstock film with contributing to the nostalgia for the 1950s in subsequent years.  That nostalgia led to the film American Graffiti (1973) and the TV show Happy Days.

In 1970, though, Gross left Sha Na Na to pursue a career as a solo singer-songwriter. He initially found little success.  But he played guitar as a session musician on one of the classic albums of the early 1970s, Jim Croce’s I Got a Name (1973).

Following some modest success with his own recordings, Gross wrote a song about the death of an Irish Setter owned by Beach Boys member Carl Wilson. The song, “Shannon,” became an international hit.

Shannon, is gone I heard,
She’s drifting out to sea;
She always loved to swim away;
Maybe she’ll find an island with a shaded tree,
Just like the one in our backyard.

The Story Behind “Shannon”

There is something gut-wrenching about the beautiful song.  So much of it seems real that one may wonder how could this be a song about somebody else’s dog? Well, it really is only partly about Wilson’s dog. Gross also had a dog named Shannon.

In 1972, when Gross was twenty-one, he became involved with a woman named Kathy Reinmann, first as a friend then as a girlfriend. She had a two-year old Irish Setter named Shannon. As Gross described the dog later, “She was an uncannily human dog whose ability to manipulate her human counterparts cannot be understated.”

Around this time, Gross was touring with the Beach Boys and struck up a friendship with Carl Wilson. While visiting Wilson at his home in Los Angeles, Wilson told Gross that he had previously had an Irish Setter too.  Wilson explained that he lost his dog when it was hit by a car. His Irish Setter, coincidentally, had the same name as Gross’s dog, Shannon.

Soon after the trip, Gross sat in his apartment trying to write a song. But a neighbor was playing loud music that interfered with his creative process.  So, Gross put on an environments record called The Ultimate Seashore. While listening to the sounds of the ocean on the record, he thought of the Beach Boys, Carl Wilson, and Wilson’s dog Shannon.

Gross looked at his dog Shannon, and he thought of “the indescribable sadness that losing such a beloved partner in life must be.”  He later recalled, “The song seemed to write itself taking no more than ten minutes and with almost no cross outs on the paper.”

Inspired by the sounds of the ocean on the record, Gross sang about Shannon “drifting off to sea.” The setting also sounded more romantic than getting hit by a car. The lyrics were ambiguous enough that listeners would not know it was about a dog and could imagine their own story.

Gross initially sent the song to Wilson, hoping he would provide background vocals. But the timing never worked out. So Gross recorded his version, which appeared on his album Release, and “Shannon” was released in 1976.

Gross’s song blanketed the nation that year. A country weary from Watergate and the Vietnam war was looking for something new in its bicentennial year. The release of “Shannon” and Gross’s high aching voice captured some of the sadness of the times.

Gross eventually took Shannon’s owner Kathy Reinmann as his wife, although the two would later divorce. They remained friends for decades until she died of lung cancer.

Gross continues to make music since “Shannon,” as you can hear on his website, some with degrees of success. For example, he co-wrote the top 40 country song “Big Guitar” for Blackhawk.

But he never had a hit quite like his song about a dog. Below, Gross performed “Shannon” in 2014, showing he still can hit the high notes.  And yes, he still has dogs (and cats).

And that is the story behind the song.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Dylan’s Barking Dogs on “Every Grain of Sand”

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    One of Bob Dylan’s greatest songs is “Every Grain of Sand.” There are several wonderful versions of the song.  But one unique aspect of the version that appeared on The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 : Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991 is that you get to hear Dylan’s dogs barking in the background.

    So give a listen to this version of “Every Grain of Sand.” If you are interested in the dogs’ part, pay special attention starting around the 2:14 mark.  Also, listen at around the 3:09 mark.

    Check it out.

    “Every Grain of Sand,” which Dylan first released on Shot Of Love (1981), was listed by Rolling Stone as one of the ten best Dylan songs of the 1980s.  It comes in at number three.

    Photo by Chimesfreedom. What is your favorite version of “Every Grain of Sand”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Although Rep. Ed Trimmer explained he proposed the bill to get kids interested in the legislative process, some have complained that the bill wastes the valuable time of the legislators. Still, eleven other states have passed similar bills recognizing various breeds of dogs.

    The real controversy has come from an issue raised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who fear that the legislation will increase demand for cairn terriers and an increase in puppy mills that mistreat the small dogs. The debate has highlighted some other criticisms of Kansas laws that do not adequately protect animals. PETA also notes that there are a large number of dogs waiting to be adopted in animal shelters and suggests that if an official state dog is named, it should be “the humble, healthy, and 100 percent lovable all-American mutt.”

    Yes, a few states have official state cats. For example, Maryland has the calico cat and Massachusetts has the tabby cat, with both states recognizing a color of cat instead of a breed. Maybe Kansas could avoid the PETA concerns by choosing a dog color.

    Speaking of The Wizard of Oz, check out this funny clip from Sunday’s Academy Awards show that features a focus group evaluating the film. The clip includes members of the cast of Best in Show (2000) and A Mighty Wind (2003): Bob Balaban, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Jennifer Coolidge, and Fred Willard.

    [March 2012 State Dog Update: The bill to make Toto the State Dog of Kansas died in committee. The representative who introduced the bill noted that he will probably try again next year.]

    Photo Courtesy of Mollie.

    What do you think about the proposed bill to recognize Toto? Who is the Wicked Witch in this debate? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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