Multi-Platinum Artist Shaun LaBelle Joins Grander Radio With “The Groove”

LaBelle has been a fixture in the pop, jazz, and R&B world for decades. His work as a songwriter, producer, and studio musician for legendary artists such as Ray Charles, Paula Abdul and Everett Harp helped launch his solo career, which caught fire in recent years with Top 40 jazz hits “It’s Not Over (2011)”, “I’m Back (2013)” and now “Wave.” His breadth of work has earned him a reputation as an elite-level musician, playing bass, drums, keyboards, keyboard-bass, and guitar. His resume as an ASCAP songwriter includes 10 Billboard Top 10 singles.

 Born into a family of Twin Cities musicians, the son of Larry and Joan LaBelle was seemingly destined to make his mark as a nationally-known recording artist. Shaun’s father, Larry, had parlayed his hard work, education, and natural musical talent into a legendary career in the advertising industry. He began writing television commercial jingles in the 1950s, and throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s became one of the Twin Cities’ most famous ad executives. Joan LaBelle began her own career as a jazz singer at an early age, and the couple raised three sons who all displayed musical talent. While his brothers chose careers in other arenas, Shaun followed his parents’ path into the entertainment world. Beginning his professional career at the age of 9, Shaun, a self-taught drummer, found work playing in local bands. By the time he was 20, LaBelle had played in, and formed, several popular Twin Cities rock, jazz, and R&B groups and caught the attention of some of the top artists and producers in the country, including Minneapolis legends André Cymone, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis.

 Throughout his mid-20s, LaBelle worked as a staff songwriter for both Warner Bros. and EMI, and he continues to write hits today for the Sony label.

 He has penned dozens of hit songs during his career and collaborated with a wide assortment of gifted singers and musicians. His knack for creating hits helped launch the careers of talented performers like Nikita Germaine and Grammy Award winner Jody Watley, and his songwriting for UK sensation Shola Ama earned him a British Grammy Award. He has worked over the years with international stars such as Prince, Sheila E, Taylor Dayne, and the Pointer Sisters and continues to perform with industry giants Jeff Lorber, Lindsey Webster, and many others.

 Today, LaBelle balances his musical career with his other successful vocation: producing videos and television commercials. This work is a continuation of yet another LaBelle family tradition, as his father, Larry, had helped Shaun get his early start in the business. Though music continues to be his first love, Shaun has become a highly-regarded and prolific TV commercial producer, with offices in both Minneapolis and Southern California.