Songbird Still MIA
By Rebecca Jean Asher
October 10, 2004
Atlanta, Georgia: It has been six months since anyone has seen or heard from indie artist Shayna Banks. The mercurial singer-songwriter dropped off the face of the Earth last Spring, following an aborted concert tour that industry insiders believe would have propelled her to headliner status.
Always an enigmatic performer, Shayna left behind few clues as to her past making it difficult to follow up on where she may have gone. Inquiries to Ms. Banks’s manager, Amy Yarborough, have largely gone unanswered. Instead, Ms. Yarborough requests that the press and public respect the singer’s privacy.
CL has learned that Ms. Yarborough retains tight control over the singer’s assets, including her extensive catalogue of music, in much the same manner as she had before Ms. Banks’s disappearance. The details of this arrangement have not been made public by Ms. Yarborough, despite repeated inquiries by this and other news outlets. Ms. Yarborough will neither confirm nor deny having any contact with the singer since her disappearance.
In a statement released shortly after Shayna vanished, authorities in Toccoa, Georgia, where the singer was renting a cabin, confirmed that there’s no evidence of foul play:
“The evidence suggests Ms. Banks left of her own volition and was not abducted or otherwise coerced. Since the person closest to Ms. Banks, her manager, has not filed a missing persons report and has expressed no concern about her whereabouts, we must conclude Shayna Banks has simply retreated from the public eye and will return whenever it suits her.”
Should any new information come to light, we will be certain to alert readers immediately.
On a personal note: Shayna, if you’re out there and reading this, let us hear something. You are sorely missed by your fans.
