Anna Shannon was born in Scarborough and also into a musical family, her grand father being a concert pianist and her mother a jazz singer.

At the age of 10 Anna was taught the flute and French horn by her uncle and was the youngest member of the Yorkshire North Riding Youth Orchestra. She also took up the oboe and trumpet.

Destined for London Music College, her future was marred by family disruptions and she left home when she was 13. In the subsequent years music was put on hold when she became a teenage bride and had a family and it wasn’t until the early eighties that she took up music once again.

Spending five years living in a camper van, Anna wrote a book about her experiences and taught herself to play guitar, fiddle and saxophone. It was during this time that she discovered the folk scene and her ability as a songwriter.

Her musicianship has led her to be featured in line-ups as diverse as skiffle, blues, jazz, folk rock, ceilidh and Cajun over the years, but it is her award winning solo work that is now earning growing acclaim. Her 12 string and harp like classical guitar styles and honest voice along with unusual instrumental pieces, makes refreshingly unique entertainment.