Shin Jung-hyeon (, or ; born January 4, 1938), also transliterated as Shin Joong-hyun or Sin Junghyeon, is a South Korean rock guitarist and singer-songwriter often referred to as Korea's "Godfather of Rock."
A pioneer of
Korean rock Korean rock (Hangul: 한국의 록) is rock music from South Korea. It has roots in American rock, which was imported to South Korea by U.S. soldiers fighting in the Korean War and stationing in U.S. military bases in South Korea after the war. Arou ...
music, Shin is known for forming South Korea's first rock band, Add4, in 1962 and for being at the forefront of the country's
psychedelic rock scene of the 1960s and 1970s. He wrote his most famous song, "Beautiful Rivers and Mountains," in protest of the military dictatorship of
Park Chung-hee in 1972. Shin was later imprisoned and tortured by Park's regime, and his music was banned until the 1980s.
He experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s and has since received numerous accolades recognizing his contributions to South Korean popular music.
Early life
Shin Jung-hyeon was born in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
in 1938, during the
Japanese occupation of Korea.
His mother died when he was a child, and his father later married a Japanese woman. Shin spent his youth with his father and step-mother living in
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...
and Japan. After they returned to what had become South Korea, Shin's father died in 1952, and his stepmother died the following year.
After her death, Shin moved to
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
, where he worked in a pharmaceutical factory and attended night school. During this time, he taught himself to play guitar after a failed attempt at learning to play the violin.
Career
Beginnings
In 1957, when he was 19 years old, Shin made his debut at a U.S. military base in South Korea, one of the few places where South Korean musicians could find regular work at the time. Shin had been inspired by the
American rock
American rock has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music, and also drew on folk music, jazz, blues, and classical music. American rock music was further influenced by the British Invasion of the American pop ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
and, later,
psychedelic rock he heard on the American Forces Korea Network radio station.
Using the stage name Jackie Shin, he gained immense popularity performing on bases, and was performing up to 40 shows per month at one point.
Shin later said that the U.S. military bases were where
Korean rock Korean rock (Hangul: 한국의 록) is rock music from South Korea. It has roots in American rock, which was imported to South Korea by U.S. soldiers fighting in the Korean War and stationing in U.S. military bases in South Korea after the war. Arou ...
was born.
Solo album and first South Korean rock band
Shin released his first album, ''Hiki Shin Guitar Melody,'' in 1958. The album included original songs in a variety of styles, covers of traditional Korean music, and covers of the hit American instrumental songs "
Honky Tonk
A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano ( tack piano) ...
" and "
Green Onions
"Green Onions" is an instrumental composition recorded in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Described as "one of the most popular instrumental rock and soul songs ever" and as one of "the most popular R&B instrumentals of its era", the tune is a ...
."
Today, the album is highly valued by record collectors, and a copy of the original
vinyl record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
was worth an estimated 10 million
KRW in 2016.
In 1964, Shin's rock band Add4 released its first album, ''The Woman in the Rain''. Add4 is considered to be South Korea's first rock band.
Mainstream success and psychedelic soul
However, Shin did not achieve mainstream success in South Korea until 1968, when he produced the album ''My Dear'' for the singing duo The Pearl Sisters. The album, which included the hit songs "My Dear" and "A Cup of Coffee," was a huge success and went on to sell more than 1 million copies. For the next several years, Shin wrote songs and produced hit records for young musicians including Kim Chu-ja, with whom he made the album ''Before It's Too Late''. Many of these recordings featured Shin's trademark
psychedelic soul
Psychedelic soul (originally called black rock or conflated with psychedelic funk) is a music genre that emerged in the late 1960s and saw Black soul musicians embrace elements of psychedelic rock, including its production techniques, instrument ...
sound.
"Beautiful Rivers and Mountains" and arrest
In 1972, the office of South Korean president
Park Chung-hee asked Shin to write a song in praise of the president. Shin refused and instead wrote a 10-minute long song about the beauty of South Korea, called "Beautiful Rivers and Mountains," which he recorded with his band at the time, Shin Joong Hyun & The Men. After the release of the song, police confiscated Shin's guitars and cut his long hair, which was banned at the time by the South Korean government.
However, in 1974, his new band,
Shin Joong Hyun & Yup Juns released their self-titled first album, which sold over 1 million copies and included the hit song, "Beautiful Woman."
In 1975, Shin was arrested for possession of
marijuana after giving away a plant to a friend of the president's son,
even though marijuana was not yet illegal at the time of his arrest. He was subsequently imprisoned and tortured. He was later imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital.
After his release, Shin was banned from performing in South Korea, until after the
assassination of Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee, the third President of South Korea, was assassinated on October 26, 1979, during a dinner at the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) safehouse inside the Blue House presidential compound in Jongno District, Seoul, Sout ...
in 1979. Regarding the assassination, Shin said, "God took Park and opted to save me."
However, in the meantime, the public's taste in music had changed, according to Shin. "It was all, 'Let's work hard,' and 'Let's be happy' kind of stuff. It was completely physical, with no spirit, no mentality, no humanity," he later said.
Because he could not perform, he turned to producing and song-writing, among other occupations.
Later career and retirement
During the 1980s, Shin ran a music club in
Itaewon
Itaewon (; IPA ) is multi-cultural commercial area located in Seoul, South Korea. it is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Seoul, known for its nightlife and trendy restaurants.
Etymology
The name Itaewon was originally derived from the n ...
, a Seoul neighborhood popular with foreign visitors and U.S. military personnel. He opened Woodstock, another music club, in southeast Seoul in 1986 and ran it and taught there for the next two decades.
In the 1990s, Shin's music experienced a renaissance of popularity in South Korea.
Cho Kwon Woo, Shin Hyo Bom and Bom Yarom Kaul Kyou recorded new versions of his songs, as did his son,
Shin Daechul
Shin Daechul ( ko, 신대철) is a South Korean musician and songwriter. He is best known as leader and guitarist of Sinawe, who are considered one of the first heavy metal bands in South Korea. He is the son of Shin Jung-hyeon, who is often ...
.
Shin announced his retirement in 2006. His "farewell" concert aired over the course of 10 nights in December of that year on South Korean television station
EBS EBS may refer to:
Broadcasting
* EBS TV (Ethiopia)
* Educational Broadband Service, US TV service
* Educational Broadcasting System, South Korea
** EBS 1, a South Korean television channel
* Emergency Broadcast System, former US Warning system
...
. However, Shin returned to the stage in 2008 for his first concert in the United States at the Korean Music Festival at the
Hollywood Bowl.
In 2010, he became the first Asian musician and the sixth in the world to be the recipient of a
Fender Custom Shop Tribute Series guitar, joining
Eric Clapton,
Jeff Beck,
Eddie Van Halen,
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Johan Malmsteen ( ; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, 30 June 1963) is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning ov ...
, and
Stevie Ray Vaughan. Shin had used Fender guitars for much of his career. The following year, in 2011,
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
-based
Light in the Attic Records
Light in the Attic Records is an independent record label that was established in 2002 in Seattle, Washington by Matt Sullivan. The label is known for its roster of reissue projects and for its distribution catalog. Light in the Attic has re-rel ...
released the first U.S. pressings of Shin's music. He was honored by
Berklee College of Music with an honorary Doctor of Music Award in 2017.
Personal life
Shin was married to Myeong Jeong-gang, the first South Korean female drummer and a member of Blue Ribbons, until she died on March 23, 2018.
They had three sons:
Shin Daechul
Shin Daechul ( ko, 신대철) is a South Korean musician and songwriter. He is best known as leader and guitarist of Sinawe, who are considered one of the first heavy metal bands in South Korea. He is the son of Shin Jung-hyeon, who is often ...
, guitarist for the
heavy metal band
Sinawe
Sinawe ( ko, 시나위) is a heavy metal/ rock band from South Korea. Led by guitarist and sole constant member Shin Daechul, they are credited as being the first heavy metal band in South Korea. During its golden age in the late 1980s and mid 19 ...
; Shin Yunchul, a singer and guitarist; and Shin Seokchul, a
session drummer.
Discography
: # is recently reissued
The
Add 4 Era
* (1959) Guitar Melody Compilation
hin Jung-hyeon* (1964) The Woman in Rain-The Add 4 First Album
dd 4
DD, dd, or other variants may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*"D.D.", a track on mixtape ''Echoes of Silence'' by The Weeknd
*DD (character), a character in ''The Saga of Seven Suns'' novels by Kevin J. Anderson
*DD National or DD1, an India ...
* (1966) The Ventures of Korea, Add 4 : Shin Jung-hyeon Insturumental Arrange Compilation Vol.1
dd 4
DD, dd, or other variants may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*"D.D.", a track on mixtape ''Echoes of Silence'' by The Weeknd
*DD (character), a character in ''The Saga of Seven Suns'' novels by Kevin J. Anderson
*DD National or DD1, an India ...
* (1967) The Woman in Rain
looz Tet* (1968) Enjoy the Guitar Instrumental Twist
dd 4
DD, dd, or other variants may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*"D.D.", a track on mixtape ''Echoes of Silence'' by The Weeknd
*DD (character), a character in ''The Saga of Seven Suns'' novels by Kevin J. Anderson
*DD National or DD1, an India ...
The Superstar Era : producer, singer-songwriter and guitarist
* (1969) Green Apple
hin Jung-hyeon* (1969) No/Spring Rain
ee Jeong-hwa / Donkeys#
* (1969) Before too late / Sgt.Kim from Vietnam
im Chu-ja#
* (1969) Bell-bottom Trousers/Dear
earl Sisters#
* (1970) Hello/You're a Fool
uestions* (1970) Hit Instrumental Compilation vol.1
hin Jung-hyeon* (1970) In-A-Kadda-Da-Vida
hin Jung-hyeon / Questions#
* (1971) Sound
hin Jung-hyeon and his combo band* (1972) Setting Sun/Woman in the Mist/Beautiful Korea
ang Hyeon / Shin Jung-hyeon and The Men#
** Partly reissued as CD 'GeoJitMalIYa', three 20 mins psyche jam pieces
* (1972) No/Don't Say to Go
im Jeong-mi#
* (1972) Angel/I ... You
eo Yu-seok#
* (1972) Your Dream/Little Ship
ang Hee-eun#
** Shin Jung-hyeon's compositions of Seo Yu-seok and Yang Hee-eun albums reissued as 1CD
* (1973) Wind
im Jeong-mi#
* (1973) Now
im Jeong-mi#
Shin Jung-hyeon Bands Era
* (1974) The Beauty/Think of You
hin Junh-hyeon and YeopJeons#
* (1975) Beautiful Korea/Mountain and River
hin Jung-hyeon and YeopJeons#
* (1975) Instrumental Best
hin Jung-hyeon and YeopJeons#
* (1980) Nobody Here But/Whenever See You
hin Jung-hyeon and Music Power#
* (1980) Please Wait/Even Your Leaving
hin Jung-hyeon* (1982) The Satellite I Shot/As Waiting Somebody
hin Jung-hyeon and Music Power#
* (1983) Let's Go/Happy
hin Jung-hyeon and SeNaGeuNe
Solo
* (1988) During the Days/Winter Park
hin Jung-hyeon* (1994/2CD) Do Nothing, Let it be
hin Jung-hyeon* (1997/2CD) A Tribute to Shin Jung-hyeon
arious Artists* (1998/2CD) Kim SatGat
hin Jung-hyeon* (2002/5CD Box) Not for Rock
hin Jung-hyeon* (2002/2CD Box) Body and Feel
hin Jung-hyeon* (2006) The Crane of a City
hin Jung-hyeon* (2006) Comfortably Safe
hin Jung-hyeon* (2007) Anthology
hin Jung-hyeon
Awards and honors
In 2008, Shin won the Lifetime Achievement award at the
Korean Music Awards
The Korean Music Awards () is an annual South Korean music awards show that honors both mainstream and underground musical artists from a variety of genres. Unlike other major South Korean music awards, which largely rely on record sales to det ...
.
At the 2011
Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards
The Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards () is an annual South Korean government-run awards ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Korea Creative Content Agency. The ceremony, which was first held in 2010, "honor those ...
, the South Korean government awarded Shin the
Bogwan Order of Cultural Merit (3rd class) for "expanding the spectrum of Korean popular music."
In 2017, Shin received an honorary degree from the
Berklee College of Music in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. The president of the college said that Shin "helped build the foundation upon which the global success of South Korean popular music rests."
See also
*
Korean rock Korean rock (Hangul: 한국의 록) is rock music from South Korea. It has roots in American rock, which was imported to South Korea by U.S. soldiers fighting in the Korean War and stationing in U.S. military bases in South Korea after the war. Arou ...
*
Shin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shin, Jung-hyeon
1938 births
Living people
Musicians from Seoul
Singers from Seoul
South Korean male singers
South Korean rock guitarists
South Korean rock singers
South Korean singer-songwriters
South Korean male singer-songwriters