Background
Shannon was born into the Gilsenan family of County Meath as the middle child of five siblings.
Shannon's exposure to music came very early on from her parents and older siblings. Her formal introduction came at the age of nine when she was enrolled for piano lessons. She and her siblings participated in the church choir and in local events, including weddings, funerals and local concerts.
In 1992, Shannon entered Dublin's College of Music and studied under the guidance of vocal trainer Mary Brennan. She participated in many musical activities, including traveling with the Dublin Institute of Technology Choir.
Shannon began her professional career in 1996 when she was selected to be a member of the Irish choir Anúna.
In 1997, Shannon was selected by Michael Flatley to join his world wide tour with the show Lord of the Dance. She was cast into the role of Erin the Goddess and performed in over 800 shows over a four-year period covering most of North and South America.
Since her professional debut, Shannon has performed with artists including Eily O'Grady, Dionne Warwick, The Celtic Tenors, Air Supply, and Celtic Woman. Shannon's accomplishments have also included participating in the sound track of RTÉ's historical documentary television series called The Island. She has also made appearances on CBS Morning News, Fox Morning TV, and The Late Late Show.
On 1 October 2006 Shannon released her solo album, simply entitled Deirdre Shannon. She is also featured in the Celtic Woman: The Greatest Journey Essential Collection DVD. Playing the role of the Gentlewoman, Shannon also sings "Harry's Game" as well as a couple more songs in Celtic Thunder: Storm which was released on CD and DVD on 20 September, 2011.
Read more about this topic: Deirdre Shannon
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