Biography
Styles in music come and go but talent is forever. True talent can turn its hand to whatever is required for it to shine through. It’s the lemons lemonade setpiece that is the stuff of hit singles in the hands of an artist like Taylor Swift. Valerie Shearman is a grad of that Zen, of turning adversity into opportunity, a hard no into an appreciative yes, spinning straw into gold with crying eyes. The Toronto singer/songwriter comes to her intense love of music through a pedigree stemming from her grandfather, the late Chester Corbett, considered one of the best fiddlers of his era. Another strand leading towards a life of music came when Valerie at age 6 was placed in a foster home child and separated from her beloved siblings. Fate stepped in when she was placed in the care of a loving musical family, the Blairs,
By age 9, Valerie was playing guitar and scratching out her first songs. She caught the attention of producer Terry Shields from the Oral Arts festival of Ontario who recognized Valerie’s gift and encouraged her to perform regularly with the Oral Arts festival on tour. This was a huge chance to learn from other musicians and get her first taste of collaboration, all of which would come into play during recording projects in the future. Life was good until later that year when she learned her mother had been found dead in a field in Calgary. It took considerable time, deep deep digging and music for Valerie to come back from this shocking and crushing blow, summon up the strength and move forward.
Good news was a-coming into Valerie’s life, in the person of lead singer Buzz Shearman of famed eighties rock band “MOXY.” The pair married, had a son Jesse and Valerie found herself on top of the world. Sadly, her world ended the day Buzz was killed instantly in a motor cycle accident. Valerie had made a positive impression within the ranks of the music industry and many of the music businesses’ finest companies came together and found ways of helping Valerie.
Over time she worked at Arc Sound Records, Q107, A&M Records & Jazz-FM in Toronto where she began to develop her knowledge of doing the business of the music business. Beneath all that, the urge to have her musical voice heard still simmered. Through these years Valerie honed her craft as a singer songwriter and guitarist applying the meaningful lessons she had learned from late husband Buzz.
All that went into her music, culminating in debut album Valerie Shearman, which yielded the single ‘This Kinda Guy,’ that appeared on the soundtrack of 1996 thriller The Donor starring Jeff Wincott, of the former shows Night Heat.
At one point in her career, Valerie was approached by a group of producers looking for the perfect look, voice and stage presence to front Ann Wilson in a tribute the Heart tribute stage show. After attending one of her shows, the backers didn’t need to look any further; they knew she was the one, called Just Heart-A Tribute to Heart, the show has been running for seven years now and still playing to sold-out audiences at theatre’s and Casinos all over Canada and some US cities.
Which brings us to the now and Valerie’s current single “She's Everybody's Daughter.” Off the CD Valerie Shearman The searing and poignant relating of her mother’s tragedy is a heavy load the lady’s been carrying for many years and finally decided to lay down her burden in a song that had been written many years before.
“Through the years I never forgot my mother that was missing then found. I couldn’t help but hear similar stories over so many times in the news. I felt I had to get her story out. I felt passionate to write a song that was deep in my soul about this terrible but true story that women go missing and the fact that sometimes never found.
That was the seed I started with years ago and I finally found the courage to bring out her story, hidden for so long. I hope it brings fresh awareness to this situation where thousands of women just disappear. There must be a way to stop this ongoing tragedy. “watching out for one another.
“She's Everybody's Daughter” is a mid-tempo tour de force set in soft Rock mould and Valerie offers an assured, engaging and soaring vocal referencing Stevie Nicks and Lee Aaron.
Her points get across more stiletto-like than blunt instrument via lyrics that get under the skin and stay in the mind. “She's Everybody's Daughter “was written by Valerie Shearman, Blair Garrison and Mauro Giammarco, and is performed by Valerie Shearman (vocals), Blair Garrison (bass and backup vocals), Daniel Addison (lead guitar), and George Sandler on drums. Additional backup vocals were provided by John Johnson. “She's Everybody's Daughter “is already charting on the US East Coast, California and the South-West and is available at the usual digital outlets.
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“If only one person hears my song and is moved enough to look into why these women are disappearing, I will feel involved in making a change in this tragic situation. This is happening to not only indigenous women, but women from all cultures and ages.”
Biography written by: Lenny Stoute
Cash Box Magazine
A Tribute to her late husband Buzz Shearman " Moxy "
Losing a loved one has never been easy to deal with, but to lose someone suddenly, it's even more tragic especially at a young age. When you think life has given you all the opportunities to live life to a very old age, but then unfortunately it takes it all back in a blink of an eye.
Valerie Shearman beloved wife of the late Buzz Shearman, the lead singer of the famous rock band MOXY, turned out to be a nightmare on June 1983 when she was contacted by the authorities to announce that her beloved husband lost his life in a motorcycle accident, he was only 32 years old a happy husband and proud father of a baby boy named Jesse.
Buzz Shearman had it all for himself, a unique voice that touched millions of people, a beautiful family with a promising career with the rock band " MOXY " back in the 70's that made him famous.
Valerie Shearman worked at ARC Sound Records and made this beautiful tribute to her late husband, as a collaboration of unreleased music of the bands works. The links below gives you a direct access to the story about Valerie Shearman and her late husband Buzz Shearman with the participation of the team to make this Tribute album happen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tribute_to_Buzz_Shearman
Also read about Tommy Bolin playing guitar on one of the MOXY album see story below
Here is an interview with Earl Johnson Lead guitarist of MOXY by Scott McIntosh
They might be gone on the other side but always by our sides.
