Blair Shannon, Comedian, killed during robbery
deb...@comcast.net
Comedian Blair Shannon from West Chester
By the Dayton Daily News
A native Cincinnatian who made his mark in stand-up comedy in southwest
Ohio and on the high seas, was shot and killed Thursday night in his
hotel room in the U.S. Virgin Islands during what police said was
apparently attempted robbery.
Blair Shannon, 46, of West Chester was shot in the abdomen by a burglar
in St. Thomas, police spokesman Sgt. Thomas Hannah told The Associated
Press.
Shannon left his bed to investigate a noise in his room at the Best
Western Carib Beach Resort, his female companion told police.
The burglar demanded money from Shannon then fired a single shot,
Hannah said.
The homicide is the first of the year in the U.S. Caribbean territory
of 110,000 residents.
According to blairshannon.com, he excited audiences around the world as
an entertainer for more than 20 years.
Some stops included Jokers Comedy Cafe in Miami Twp., as master of
ceremonies of the Enquirer Cincinnati Area Pop Music Awards in 2001 and
cruise ships.
Some of his credits included appearances on Evening at the Improv, and
the Comedy Central and HBO television networks.
His film performances include a leading role in the independent movie
Joe's Rotten World, shown at the Sundance Film Festival.
"Our hearts go out to Shannon's family," Leslie Katz, manager of
corporate communications for Royal Caribbean International, said Friday
night.
Shannon, who had performed on several Royal Caribbean ships as a
comedian and impressionist for 10 to 15 years, had completed a brief
stint Thursday on Jewel of the Seas and was planning to join Voyager of
the Seas in Miami today for another series of appearances during the
ship's upcoming seven-night Caribbean cruise, Katz said.
He worked an estimated 20 to 30 contracts per year on Royal Caribbean
ships and his engagements usually lasted one to three days, she said.
Shannon had voluntarily left Jewel of the Seas for an overnight
vacation stay with his girlfriend, and had booked his own hotel
accommodations, Katz said.
His wife, Amy, died of leukemia in 1998, which left him to raise their
daughter Chelsey.
"People come up to me and say, "What have you been doing lately? I
haven't heard about you forever,' " he told The Cincinnati Enquirer in
March 2000, which reported that his act was in such demand on the
casino circuit that he had standing dates in Vegas and Atlantic City.
Beside the work with Royal Caribbean, he would fly to the Vegas or
Atlantic City Tropicana once a month and do two shows a night, seven
days a week.
Shannon, who got into the profession in 1982 on a whim, told the
Enquirer: "I want people to leave my show saying, "He's the most
talented guy I never heard of.' "
