Shona Laing

Shona Laing
Shona Laing performing at WOMAD 2009 in New Zealand
Background information
Born	(1955-10-09) 9 October 1955 (age 61)
Genres	Rock, new wave
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1972–present
Associated acts	Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Shona Laing (born 9 October 1955) is a New Zealand musician. She has had several hits in her native country, as well as a few minor international hits, most notably "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" and "Soviet Snow". Laing also contributed to the Manfred Mann's Earth Band album Somewhere in Afrika. Laing also contributed music to, and appeared in, the 1985 action film Shaker Run.

Currently she resides in New Zealand and occasionally plays live shows, enjoying a small but devoted fan base.

Laing first came to prominence in 1972 as a 17-year-old schoolgirl, coming runner-up in the television talent show "New Faces" with her song "1905". Signed to a recording contract with Phonogram, her first two singles, "1905" and "Show Your Love" both certified gold and both peaked at number 4 on the New Zealand charts. In 1973 she won two Rata awards: Best New Artist and Recording Artist Of The Year. Laing twice represented New Zealand at the Tokyo Music Festival, in 1973 (with the song Masquerade) and 1974. In 1975 she travelled to Britain and was based there for the next seven years, where in 1982, she was a vocalist for Manfred Mann's Earth Band alongside fellow New Zealander, Chris Thompson.

Laing was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame as the Legacy Award recipient at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards in November 2013.

During a concert on 18 July 1996, Shona Laing came out as bisexual and noted that she was in a relationship with another woman.