Shannon
Vocals
Shannon O'Malley
Birthdate: December 17, 1974
Current Residence: Glenbeulah, WI
Children: Dalton James & Caden Riley
Favorite Drinks: Iced tea, Pepsi, and once in awhile... Jack 'n Coke
Previous Bands: The Broomcats
Musical Influences: Pat Benetar, Whitney Houston, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Mariah Carey... these women have AMAZING voices! Oh yeah, and some old school... Salt 'N Pepa! 1st "tape" my mother ever bought me was Salt 'N Pepa... knew every word!
Been singing as long as I can remember... putting on shows in front of family while dancing on the coffee table in the living room. Grade school solos were the worst - HAVING to sing in front of people!?!? I was scared to death, the first couple times. High school came along and solo ensemble was new and exciting. (I went from a catholic grade school to a public high school... LOTS of changes!) Always wanted to sing in a band but never thought it would happen.
I was young and anxious to take on the world, thought I knew it all. Got married at the age of 20, had a baby at 21. Two HUGE changes in life that I should have waited to take on until after I knew a little more about life itself. I discovered karaoke in 1997. Unbelievable! How exciting to be able to sing along with music in front of a crowd! It was my chance to be a star! I went around singing whenever I could, which wasn't as often as I would have liked... someone had to be home taking care of the baby. I did contests when I was able. At the time I lived in Sheboygan and there was another vocalist that would always beat me by one if in the same contest as me. Kudos to you Kathy... you still have one hell of a voice!!
I found myself a single mother in 1998 and moved back to Fond du Lac. As a favor, I started as a cocktail waitress at Main Exchange. I KNEW NOTHING! If it wasn't a wine cooler, I had no clue! The look on my face when I first took an order for a "seven & seven"... priceless. Needless to say, I learned more than necessary and moved up to being a bartender. 9 years of bartending sure makes you see the world in a different way! Perhaps that is why I find myself to not be a real big drinker. I'd take a Pepsi over alcohol most of the time.
n 2001, I started with a band called The Broomcats. They gave me a chance and I owe a lot to them. After a couple years, the guys wanted to concentrate on family and put the band aside for awhile. I, on the other hand, wanted to sing. I searched here and there trying to find a band that I felt comfortable in. I would take my friend, Jeff, along with me to auditions in Milwaukee... didn't feel the safest going by myself. (Little did I realize that he would end up being my husband one day!)
December of 2003, I went to Beaver Dam to listen to 5 o'Clock Charlie. Funny, they weren't looking for a female vocalist but rather a keyboardist. I was invited to come up on stage and sing a song... that was so fun! After that, I was invited to an audition. Eric, the bass player, was completely against having a "chick" be in the band but Mike & Clark begged him to just listen to me one time. Worst case scenario... he hated me and never had to see me again. Hmmmm... what happened here?? I was invited to be a part of 5 o'Clock Charlie and helped to take the band in a new direction. Female vocals was something new and exciting! Eric realized that "chicks" CAN rock!!
Tried to find my place in the world. Retail jobs, office jobs, insurance, hotel... but music is where it's at. After bartending and then being the KJ at a karaoke bar, I decided to invest in my own equipment. I found myself engaged to be married to my friend and biggest supporter of my singing... Jeff. Jeff has owned a DJ Service since 93 and now I started my own business... doing what I know best. Singing! I now have the best of BOTH worlds! LIVE music with the band as well as running a DJ service for any occasion... karaoke too!
Life is good... I have a new baby... a new home... a new husband... and a career that is exactly what I love to do. God has been listening to my prayers. To him I give thanks as well as to those who are always there for me. My family and my friends... and to the members of Charlie... current as well as past. You guys are not only my friends, but my family as well.
My other Job...
