Mem Shannon, born December 21, 1959, in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an American blues musician. Inspired by his father's blues records, he began playing clarinet and guitar by age fifteen. After seeing B.B. King perform, Mem Shannon started practicing seriously and played in local bands. Following his father's death in 1981, he took a break to drive a cab. In the early 1990s, he formed Mem Shannon and the Membership, who won a spot at the 1991 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. His debut album, A Cab Driver's Blues, was released on October 15, 1995 by Hannibal Records. In April 1996, Mem Shannon quit driving cabs to focus full-time on music. He has released several albums including Memphis In The Morning (2001), Spend Some Time With Me (1999) and Live: A Night At Tipitina's (2007). His song "S.U.V." (2002) won Living Blues magazine's Critics Poll Song of the Year.
