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Popular singer and songwriter Shane Yellowbird passed away on Monday, April 25, at the age of 42, as confirmed by his family. His sister Carmen Yellowbird said,
“It’s been a shock. We’re just trying to support each other and be there for each other. We have people across Canada contacting us, in the States. We’re just trying to process this.”
Shane Yellowbird’s cause of death
According to journalist Brandi Morin, Shane reportedly died due to epilepsy. Morin also posted a tweet regarding the same which said,
“Shane Yellowbird suffered w epilepsy & last few years it got really bad. He has been declared dead more than once including last year but he pulled through. In between he was pretty and healthy. He had one last grand mall seizure & didn’t make it out alive. Everyone heartbroken.”
Shane Yellowbird's career
Born on July 7, 1979, Shane Yellowbird attended Ponoka Composite High School and started singing during speech therapy to treat his stuttering problem. He was signed by O’Reilly International in 2003 and released his first album, Life Is Calling My Name. It included singles like Beautiful Concept, They’re All About You, I Remember the Music, and more. He won three awards at the Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards in 2006.
His third single, Pickup Truck, was among the top 5 songs on the Canadian Country Singles chart in 2007 and was in the 64th position on the all-genre Canadian Hot 100 list. He opened for the Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards in 2007 and was named the Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year.
He was a recipient of three awards at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in 2007 and was nominated for the Juno Award in 2008.
Shane’s second album, It’s About Time, was released in 2009. One of its singles, Bare Feet on the Blacktop, received critical acclaim and the video was nominated by the Native American Music Association. He won two Native American Music Awards in 2011 and 2012.
Fans pay tribute on Twitter
Shane's fans expressed their grief on Twitter after they heard about his death. There is no doubt that the music industry has truly lost a gem.
The Alberta native is survived by his wife Sarah and four children. His family has planned a traditional ceremony for the burial on April 29.
