KEVIN SHINE
“From Poet to Artist & Repertoire”
A Queen’s View Exclusive
by Emm Edwards
“Always be ready because you will be
tested. This is a part of your destiny. Your
goal to be the best will always put you in a
position where you will be tested whether
good or bad.”
Just a little over six years ago, I started working on my
debut album and along the way have met quite a few
good people in the industry. I truly believe that if you’re
going to be in the entertainment industry, you need to
network because you never know who can help you rise
to the top and vice versa. My good friend and producer,
DeJuan Boyd was telling me about a guy he thought I
needed to get in contact with that may could help me or
advise me on what to do with my music. He said he had
met the guy at an event or something and that he was
A&R for a couple record labels but he didn’t say which
ones. The guy he was referring to was none other than
music industry veteran, Kevin Shine. I think sent him a
friend request on Facebook and that’s how we got
acquainted. I may have posted my music links on his
profile but either way I reached out to him and he was
very receptive. Maybe a couple of years later, he started
inviting me out to be a part of WSAATL (Writing Sessions
of Atl) a seminar Kevin holds as a competitive way for
songwriters and producers to sharpen their skills to
become successful. I love the concept because this is
Kevin’s way of challenging these artists to become
better and see how serious they are about their artistry.
Kevin Shine was born in Chicago, Illinois to Martha
Shine, a single mother predominately on the Southside.
Kevin had three siblings his mother adopted that were
blood relatives through their mother who had passed
way. His mother did not want the state of Illinois to take
them so she took them and raised them as her very own
having Kevin be a big brother/guardian to the three
siblings. Being from the “Windy City”, Shine knew early
on what it was to hustle and grind because that’s the
mentality of most Chicagoans. He knew with this state
of mind, you could earn your keep in anything you
choose to do in life. Young Kevin developed a love for
music early on as his Aunt Delores and Uncle Bob owned
a record store where he spent most of his time and also
helped sell records. His Uncle Bob played in his own
band called Gordon and the Smokers. Kevin recalls
doing his own versions of James Brown and Michael
Jackson dance routines for milk money. Kevin attended
Percy Julian L. Julian High School but transferred when
his mother sent him to live with his grandfather, Pops
Gordon in Arkansas briefly. By this time, Kevin was quite
the athlete playing football. He came back to Chicago
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