Band

The Guess Who is a legendary Canadian band who enjoyed chart topping hits in the late 60s and early 70s with an impressive catalogue of songs including “American Woman,” “These Eyes,” and “No Time.” During the course of its career, the band has released 11 studio albums, and charted 14 Top 40 hit singles, 2 of which went to number one in the United States. The Guess Who is best known internationally for its 1970 album, American Woman, which hit number one in Canada and number nine in the United States, with five other albums also hitting the top ten in Canada.

Their fan base spans multiple generations. Very few bands have survived numerous member changes — let alone having smash hits with each lineup — but The Guess Who’s motto is “the music is the message”.

The most recent and up-to-date version of the band has mastered a wildly
entertaining romp through the early hits mixed in with their current creations,
while managing to take the whole experience to a new level. Their most recent
musical offering is stunningly sophisticated, searingly emotional, and musically
eclectic, while remaining eminently singalongable.

Their live show is a celebration of life, being alive, and thriving in these uncertain
times. The Guess Who never leave anything less than their hearts on the stage at
the end of every performance.

The Guess Who is:

Garry Peterson
Derek Sharp
Michael Devin
Leonard Shaw
Michael Staertow

Garry Peterson

Garry Peterson is a Canadian and American drummer who over the course of a iconic career spanning more then six decades is best known for: being a founding member and co-owner of the legendary Canadian rock band The Guess Who; performing with former Guess Who member Burton Cummings; and performing with Bachman Turner Overdrive during their support of Van Halen’s 5150 Tour.

For Garry, being a child prodigy meant success came at a very young age with his first professional gig by the age of four and by six he had already performed with Peggy Lee at the Chicago Theater in Chicago, IL. Similar gigs would following with the likes of Lionel Hampton, The Four Lands, and The Andrew Sisters to name a few.

By sixteen, Garry had joined the Winnipeg band Al & The Silvertones; which over the next couple of years would transform itself into The Guess Who.

As a member of The Guess Who, Garry has to his credit: fifteen albums that have charted on Billboard 200; fourteen singles that have charted on Billboard’s Top 40, including two #1’s; and three Gold Singles and three Gold Albums as certified by RIAA.

Through The Guess Who, Garry has also been inducted in The Canadian Music Hall of Fame and received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement for contribution to popular music in Canada.

Garry is also the only current or former member of The Guess Who that has performed on every single album and participated in every single tour over the course of the band’s lengthy history.

Derek Sharp

Derek D# Sharp was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, and is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, engineer, vocalist, performer and barista.
He has worked with a veritable who’s who in the world of music entertainment, including Red Rider, Jeff Healey, Alannah Myles, Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Alex Ligertwood (Santana) the ambassador of soul, Ellis Hall, Bobby Curtola and Sass Jordan. The list of credits is vast, but he recently produced, engineered and performed on the 25th anniversary recording of the Double Platinum album Racine by Sass Jordan as well as producing her latest blues chart toppers Rebel Moon Blues (2019) and Bitches Blues (2022)

He joined The Guess Who in early 2008, revitalizing the live show with a dynamic and interactive stage presence. He has contributed to bringing in a new generation of fans and is now the longest standing lead singer the band has ever had. He co-wrote and produced the album The Future Is What It Used To Be, in 2018. He wrote and produced the 2023 album Plein D’Amour (soon to be released).

Leonard Shaw

Plying his keyboard-saxophone-flute playing-vocalizing talents with The Guess Who since joining the band in 1990; multi-instrumentalist Leonard Shaw’s music spans the genres from blues, to R & B, to jazz, to funk, and rock.

A graduate of Grant MacEwan Music College in Edmonton; Shaw began his career in Winnipeg with the blues band Mojo and the Nighthawks in the late 60’s, then moved onto R & B with Junior Barnes and the Cadillacs.

— See the Official Website: https://www.leonardshaw.com/

Moving to Toronto in the 70’s would afford Shaw the opportunity to tour with Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople) and record and perform with Canadians Ian Thomas, Terry Crawford and Dianne Heatherington. In 1986 he joined the highly in-demand acclaimed party band Backstreet – a band that fellow Guess Who member Derek Sharp would join after Shaw left.

During both his time spent in Toronto and Winnipeg, Shaw has performed live with numerous artists including; Del Shannon, Ben E. KIng, Peter Noone, Mark Lindsey, Lesley Gore, Sue Medley, Freddie Cannon, The Marvellettes, The Crystals, The Coasters, The Drifters, and Jay and the Techniques.

With the Guess Who : “I feel like we’re carrying the torch to a new generation, moving and entertaining as many people as we can along the way.”

Michael Staertow

A native of Rochester, NY, currently living in Nashville, TN – guitarist/vocalist Michael Staertow brings a pedigree that includes many years as lead guitarist and musical director with original Foreigner vocalist, and solo artist Lou Gramm, guitarist with multi-platinum artist Slaughter, as well as both RockStar counselor and Music Director of the prestigious Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp organization.

In addition to playing venues around the world, Michael has performed with Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Whitesnake), Paul Stanley (KISS), Gene Cornish (The Rascals), Buddy Guy, Carmine and Vinny Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Black Sabbath), Nancy Wilson (Heart), Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean) and original Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliott. He also shared the stage with legendary Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers and former Heart guitarist Howard Leese at the “Pandora Unforgettable Moments on Ice” show, which was broadcast worldwide on ABC-TV and On Demand.

Michael has also been the focus of articles in Guitar World, Guitar One and Vintage Guitar Magazine, as well as a featured guest on several podcasts including Guitar Player Magazine‘s “No Guitar Is Safe” hosted by GP’s Jude Gold.

In 2021, Michael accepted an offer to join The Guess Who, presenting an exciting opportunity to musically represent this legendary Canadian Music Hall of Fame artist.

Michael Devin

Michael Devin is an American musician, singer/songwriter, and producer with a career spanning over 20 years. He was born and raised outside of Boston, Massachusetts and earned a Masters Degree in sound engineering from Emerson College. This afforded him the opportunity to accept an internship at the historic Cherokee Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA. There he worked sessions with artists ranging from Stuart Copeland of The Police, Snoop Dogg, Henry Rollins, John Carpenter of the Halloween movie franchise, and George Clinton of Parliament Funkadelic.

As a professional musician, Michael has toured throughout the world and recorded with artists such as blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, vocalist Noah Hunt, S.U.N. with Sass Jordan and Brian Tichy, George Lynch, Shooter Jennings, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, Whitesnake, and his original project, From the Earth.

Michael initially played a handful of dates with The Guess Who in 2016. He later recorded with the band in Blackbird Studios in Nashville on their album titled The Future IS What it Used to Be. In 2021, after finishing a decade-long tenure with Whitesnake, Michael returned full time on bass with The Guess Who.