Shawn Hook

Shawn Hook
Hook in 2016
Hook in 2016
Background information
Birth nameShawn Hlookoff
Born (1984-09-05) 5 September 1984 (age 40)
Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada
OriginCastlegar, British Columbia, Canada
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano
Years active2004–present
Labels
Websiteshawnhook.com

Shawn Hlookoff (born 5 September 1984), known as Shawn Hook, is a Canadian singer, songwriter and producer.

Career

[edit]

Hook studied piano through the Royal Conservatory from as early as age 4. In high school, he played piano and trombone in a jazz combo and jazz big band under the guidance of Rick Lingard. Shawn enrolled in a music composition course at Mount Sentinel Secondary School and started writing and recording his own music.

His first release using his real name Shawn Hlookoff was in 2004 after Colin Davison (a.k.a. Jude Davison, his vocal teacher at Selkirk College Music School) offered to produce it. He also gigged with the disco cover band Shag as a trombone player and back-up vocalist. Enrolling at The Art Institute of Vancouver, he studied audio engineering. He released a second independent 11-track album in 2006 titled Both Sides, also credited as Shawn Hlookoff.

He was the first artist/songwriter to sign to ABC Studios in Los Angeles in 2008. During that time, he made a live appearance on Good Morning America. His compositions were featured on several ABC TV shows including "Life in Faith" on Eli Stone, "She Could Be You" on Kyle XY and "Be Myself" in Greek. His song "Without You" premiered on MTV's series The Hills. His music was also featured in other series like Samurai Girl, General Hospital etc. During his time in Los Angeles, he landed his first acting role as a guest star on the Fox TV show Bones.

Adopting the artistic name Shawn Hook, he released his official debut album Cosmonaut and the Girl produced by Jon Levine on EMI with "So Close", "Every Red Light" and "Two Hearts Set on Fire" as singles from the album. He released a holiday song called "Follow the Lights" in 2012. In 2013, he collaborated with DJ Poet Name Life and Chebacca on a song called "Laser Ray", released on Listen Deep Records. It was his 2014 hit single "Million Ways", released on 2 September 2014, that helped him gain popularity and a following. It became his then most successful charting single on Billboard Canadian Hot 100, giving him three simultaneous hits on the Canadian Hot 100. His highest charting single is "Sound of Your Heart", which has peaked at No. 23 as of 6 June 2015. "Sound of Your Heart" was featured in promotional commercials for Season 20 of The Bachelor.[1]

On 21 December 2015, it was announced that Hook had signed a deal with major US label Hollywood Records. Hollywood and ABC share the same Parent company, bringing Hook's US Songwriting and Recording contracts together under one deal. In the fall of 2016, Hook joined Lindsey Stirling on her North American tour.[2] In February 2016, he was picked as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month and was featured on NBC's Today show hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb and broadcast nationally where he performed live his single "Sound of Your Heart". Later in 2016, he opened for Marianas Trench on their North American tour.[3]

In April 2017, Hook released the single "Reminding Me" featuring Vanessa Hudgens. The two star in the music video, which was also released that month.[4] They performed the duet on the season 14 finale of So You Think You Can Dance.[5]

Hook is signed to Kreative Soul Entertainment, Inc. under exclusive license to EMI Music Canada. He has a worldwide deal with Hollywood Records for releases outside of Canada.[citation needed]

Personal life

[edit]

He grew up in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada with his parents. He established the charity "Feed The Need" with longtime friend Kara Martin, and collected donations for various charities as well as performing at various regional high schools to raise food for the local food bank. Today, he continues with the charity registered and it's been rebranded as "Live To Give".[6]

In February 2023, he announced he was diagnosed with throat cancer.[7]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
Title Album details Notes
Both Sides
  • Release date: 28 November 2006
  • Record label: Independent
  • Note: Released as Shawn Hlookoff
No.TitleLength
1."Addicted"3:47
2."Jealousy Is Killing Me"3:43
3."Life Goes On"3:52
4."Doesn't Get Much Better Than This"3:29
5."What You Did"3:33
6."Fool"3:11
7."Soldier"4:23
8."Get It Right"4:18
9."My Neighbourhood"4:05
10."Both Sides"3:53
Cosmonaut and the Girl[8]
  • Release date: 8 May 2012
  • Record label: Kreative Soul/EMI Canada
No.TitleLength
1."Planet Earth"4:01
2."Every Red Light"3:42
3."Dirty Little War"3:52
4."Two Hearts Set on Fire"3:29
5."Rockstaria"3:26
6."Shadows"3:30
7."So Close"3:26
8."Middle Finger"3:00
9."Fool"3:23
10."One Life"3:44
11."Every Red Light (Acoustic Version)"3:50
12."Rainbow"3:28
13."Every Red Light (Radio Version)" (Video bonus)3:53
Analog Love[9]
  • Release date: 9 June 2015
  • Record label: Kreative Soul
No.TitleLength
1."In Over My Head"4:10
2."Analog Love"4:01
3."Sound of Your Heart"3:22
4."Million Ways"3:30
5."Bad Girls"3:15
6."Relapse"3:53
7."Who Do You Love"3:45
8."In Over My Head (Piano Version)"4:32
9."Million Ways (HiClass Weapon Remix)"3:51

EPs

[edit]
Title EP details Peak positions Notes
CAN
[10]
My Side of Your Story[11] 74
No.TitleLength
1."Good Days"3:34  
2."Reminding Me" (featuring Vanessa Hudgens)3:29
3."Never Let Me Let You Go"3:45
4."Dancing in the Sky"3:39
Take Me Home[12]
  • Release date: 23 October 2020
  • Record label: Ultra
 —
No.TitleLength
1."I Don't Wanna Dance"3:26  
2."Good Love"3:20
3."Deeper"2:47
4."Holding on to You"3:06  
5."Stay with You"2:28
6."Take Me Home"2:51
7."Instant Crush"4:57
Beauty in Surrender[13]
  • Release date: 28 June 2024
  • Record label: Infinity Records
 —
No.TitleLength
1."Winter Jacket"2:49  
2."Magic"2:54
3."Bigger Than the Night"2:58
4."Rocks"3:26  
5."City Where It Rains"3:02
6."Pick You Up"5:02
"—" denotes a recording which failed to chart or was not released to that format.

Singles

[edit]
Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications Album
CAN
[14] 		CAN AC
[15] 		CAN CHR
[16] 		CAN HAC
[17] 		US Bub.
[18] 		US Pop
[19]
2008 "Without You"[A] — — — — — — Non-album singles
2012 "Follow the Lights"[21] — 47 — — — —
"So Close" 68 10 — 10 — — Cosmonaut and the Girl
"Every Red Light" 65 — 35 18 — —
2013 "Two Hearts Set on Fire"[21] — 22 — 34 — —
2014 "Million Ways" 44 8 13 8 — — Analog Love
2015 "Sound of Your Heart" 23 12 8 8 5 24
2016 "Relapse" 88 22 20 11 — —
2017 "Reminding Me"
(featuring Vanessa Hudgens) 		30 7 8 4 — —
  • MC: 2× Platinum[22]
 My Side of Your Story
"Never Let Me Let You Go" — 47 15 23 — —
2020 "I Don't Wanna Dance" — 44 25 32 — — Take Me Home
"Instant Crush" — — — — — —
"Holding on to You" — — 48 — — —
"Deeper" — — — — — —
"Take Me Home" — 26 35 34 — —
2021 "Used to You"
(with Serena Ryder) 		— — — — — — Non-album singles
2022 "It All Comes Back to You"
(featuring Emily Roberts) 		— — — — — —
2023 "Out of My Head"
(with the Banker Boys) 		— — — — — —
2024 "Bigger Than the Night" — — — — — — Beauty in Surrender
"Magic" — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording which failed to chart or was not released to that format.

Notes

  1. ^ "Without You" was released under the name Shawn Hlookoff.[20]
[edit]
Year Single Peak chart positions Album
CAN
[14]
2020 "Lean on Me"
(as part of ArtistsCAN)[23] 		13 Non-album single

Soundtrack contributions

[edit]
as Shawn Hlookoff

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Ceremony Award Nominated work Result Ref.
2013 Juno Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year Himself Nominated [24]
2016 Fan Choice Award Nominated [25]
2017 Canada's Walk of Fame Allan Slaight Honour Recipient [26]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Shawn Hook – Sound of Your Heart – The Bachelor | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Shawn Hook's Upcoming North American Tour With Lindsey Stirling!" hyvetown.com, 23 September 2016.
  3. ^ Lynn Saxberg, "Concert Review: Marianas Trench are back in rocking form," Ottawa Citizen, 19 November 2016.
  4. ^ Alex Riccardi, "Vanessa Hudgens Cozies Up to a New Man in 'Reminding Me' Music Video," J-14, 21 April 2017.
  5. ^ Kelly Connolly, "So You Think You Can Dance finale recap: Who is America's Favorite Dancer?" Entertainment Weekly, 25 September 2017.
  6. ^ CBC.ca: Shawn Hook – Artist – biographical info
  7. ^ "B.C. pop singer Shawn Hook battling cancer | CityNews Vancouver". vancouver.citynews.ca. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Cosmonaut and the Girl by Shawn Hook". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. January 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  9. ^ "Analog Love by Shawn Hook". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Shawn Hook Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Shawn Hook Set To Release 'My Side Of Your Story' Ep June 16". Universal Music. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Take Me Home by Shawn Hook". Apple Music. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Beauty In Surrender - EP by Shawn Hook". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Shawn Hook Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Shawn Hook Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  16. ^ "Shawn Hook Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  17. ^ "Shawn Hook Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  18. ^ "Shawn Hook Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  19. ^ "Shawn Hook Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Without You – Single by Shawn Hlookoff". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. 14 April 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  21. ^ a b Kelly, Jim (3 May 2016). "Shawn Hook: Singer-Songwriter Finds Strength in Numbers". SOCAN. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  22. ^ a b "Canadian certifications – Shawn Hook". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Lean on Me – Single by ArtistsCAN". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  24. ^ "Breakthrough Artist of the Year 2013: Shawn Hook," Juno Awards, 2013.
  25. ^ Elio Iannacci, "Juno-nominated singer Shawn Hook opens up about love, Bieber’s comeback + more," Fashion, 10 March 2016.
  26. ^ Canada's Walk of Fame Allan Slaight Honour Accessed 22 January 2018
[edit]
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