THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE MAGNIFICENT SHAUNE
STEELE
It was during my Christmas vacation, when I learned the sad news of the passing of a wonderful woman and friend. Her name was Shaune McNamara Steele, beloved wife of the immortal “Real Don Steele.”
According to her sister, Jill Vanhanen, Shaune was born in Camden, New Jersey on May 12, 1950. Their father served in the Navy, and they came to Southern California from Honolulu in the late ‘50s/early ‘60s and settled in the San Diego area. Shaune graduated from UCLA, where she majored in Political Science. However, she soon discovered that wasn’t her scene. Her real passion was music, as she was never without her trusty transistor radio growing up. Fast forward to adulthood, Shaune found employment at the Pasadena based station; KRLA, where she became the music director.
While working at KRLA, Shaune met the hip, ultra groovy Boss Angeles DJ, “The Real Don Steele,” birthdate, April 1, 1936. Their relationship turned heads, and they became rock radio royalty! They lived together for several years, before deciding on a whim, to just take the plunge and eloped to Las Vegas! Although rather shy and unassuming, Shaune turned out to be the perfect match for the uber outlandish and Los Angeles trendsetter, RDS.
(LEFT TO RIGHT: Shaune Steele. Unidentified man, Corvette Sandy, The Real Don Steele)
Don became famous on the extremely popular Boss Radio KHJ, as it was known in those days. He also had his own television show, aptly named “The Real Don Steele Show,” promoted National Hot Rod Association of drag racing, the long defunct Ascot Raceway in Gardena, and Guzzardi’s Nightclub on the Sunset Strip. As a young child, it all seemed so worldly, fun and exciting! I made up my mind that I wanted to be part of a seemingly fast-paced place, where dancing, racing and music ruled. All the girls were so pretty, in their micro miniskirts, and the guys; they were super cool with blazers and double-breasted shirts.
After marrying, Don and Shaune settled in what is known as the Los Feliz area, by the infamous Hollywood sign and Griffith Park Observatory. Don’s radio career took him to several stations, most notably KHJ, KIQQ, KTNQ, KRLA, KODJ, and his last gig, KEARTH 101. After a short battle with lung cancer, Don passed away on August 5, 1997. He was honored by Hollywood with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1995. Flowers were placed at his star by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, KEARTH radio, and his many fans and mourners. There will never be another.
When I asked Shaune’s sister, Candace, how Shaune handled the fame, she recounted that Shaune was an avid reader and was just radiantly happy to be married to Don. She was kind, fun-loving, generous, and had the knack of being able to talk to anyone. An example of her generosity was the music scholarship she created and provided to Hollywood High School (Don’s Alma Mater) for any underprivileged students wishing to pursue their desire to learn and share music. As a Buster Keaton fan, Shaune attended Buster Keaton events and enjoyed meeting with other fans. And like me, she also loved the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Candace also shared with me a private, favorite “RDS and Shaune” memory from before they were married: While quite inebriated at an unknown club in Hollywood, Don got up to use the restroom and instead of locating the men’s room, he fell through a curtain and ended up on Frank Sinatra’s lap! Anyone else would have been eighty-sixed, but because it was Don and Frank was a fan, all was forgiven.
("The Real Don Steele" Day at Disneyland, circa 1991)
After Don’s death, Shaune worked at the California Highway Patrol for 5 years, until she retired in 2020.
I had the pleasure of meeting Shaune on Don’s big day, on May 3, 1995, when he was honored with a Star at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard, near La Brea Avenue. After a long interval, we reunited several years ago. Last year, she moved from LA back to her native San Diego area to be close to her other sister, Jill Vanhanen. Shaune became ill in November of 2023, and she passed away on Saturday, December 29, 2023. She was 73, and at last, reunited with her beloved husband.
The news was devastating to me and the Southern California radio community. Her ashes were scattered near Griffith Park Observatory, close to Don’s.
At this time, I would like to share what I remember most and that was the infamous “Tina Delgado is Alive, Alive” chant and the Fractious Fridays, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. No matter where I was, I always managed to find a radio somewhere, to hear Don’s signoff, where he would chant unrelated rhyming words, strung together and end with a dramatic BYE! Whenever I hear “You Can’t Sit Down,” by Phil Upchurch, my mind immediately takes me back to 1966, to those “Fractious Friday” night sendoffs on Boss Radio KHJ TV, Los Angeles, Channel 9 for “The Real Don Steele Show.” These shows included popular acts, music, news spots (with a giant gong), and plenty of dancing. The girls would dance in a tight circle and do the funky chicken or frug (the shorter the skirt, the better) until Don yanked them off for another dancer. Of course, RDS had his own set of dancing vixens who were known as “The Real Don Steelers.”
If you have any inkling for nostalgia, try Internet Radio Station, KYNO, Fresno, where they play Don’s old shows on Fridays, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PDT. A big thank you goes out to Candace Perry, Jill Vanhanen, and Shanna Joy Creney for the support and friendship!
(For a comment on this article, go to rvstewartproductions@yahoo.com)
