Review by Mark Deming
Singer and songwriter Shawn Amos got some of his gift for music from his mother, but he didn't get a chance to discover that until shortly after her death. Amos' mother, Shirlee Ellis Amos, committed suicide in 2003 after battling mental illness for many years, but it wasn't until he went through his late mother's effects that he learned she had enjoyed a remarkable life before he was born. Shirlee had a brief but successful career as nightclub singer Shirl-ee May, performing club dates with the likes of Sam Cooke and Sammy Davis, Jr., and recording an album for Mercury Records before her life in music came to an end in 1967, not long after she married future cookie mogul Wally "Famous" Amos. Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) is a song cycle Amos created as a homage to his late mother, as well as an effort to understand this side of the woman that he never got to know. Amos is upfront with the back-story of this album, and it's hard not to be moved by songs such as "New York City 1964 (A Letter Home)," "You're Groovy (For Boy Blue)," and "Getting Over," knowing their personal resonance for Amos. But the album succeeds on the strength of its craft as well as sentiment; Amos' songs in the voice of Shirl-ee May are effective thumbnail sketches of the highs and lows of a life being lived in fifth gear, and the old-school jazz and R&B accents of the early part of the album give the story an powerful and evocative backdrop, while the most country-accented tunes of the album's third act match the sorrow of this tale's sad end. And Amos put together a superb crew for this album, with Anthony Marinelli's keyboards lending a world of detail to the tunes and Ray Parker, Jr. adding superb guitar lines on "Bubble Hill" and "Make It." Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) is a powerful and deeply affecting story of personal grief and public affection; it's a touching example of art drawn from adversity, and a creative triumph for Shawn Amos that deserves to be heard.

Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) is Shawn Amos's second studio album. It was released in 2005 on Shout! Factory.
With his second release, Amos chronicles the career of his mother, a club singer in the 1960s. Shawn discovered his mother’s professional life as Shirl-ee May only after her suicide in July 2003. Amos says album is a tender tribute to his mother, Shirlee Ellis Amos. Songs like " "New York City 1964" and "The Bottle Always Brings Me Down" explore the life of the singer known as Shir-lee May.
Background
Throughout Amos' childhood and adulthood, his mother suffered from schizoaffective disorder and ultimately committed suicide in 2003. The trauma of the event and his subsequent discovery of her early singing career were the inspiration behind his 2005 album release Thank You Shirl-ee May. He has since donated his time to the mental health organizations Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center in Los Angeles and the Rita Project in New York. Amos has also dedicated much of his time to local non-profit organizations dedicated to working with at-risk youth.

Editorial Reviews
An album in three acts featuring Garrison Starr, Solomon Burke and more.
Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild has called Shawn Amos an "American singer-songwriter of the first order." With this, his third release, Amos chronicles the career of his mother, a club singer in the 1960s. Shawn discovered his mother’s professional life as Shirl-ee May only after her suicide in July 2003. Featuring veteran heavyweights such as Ray Parker, Jr., Gregg Bissonette and Chuck Findley, Thank You Shirl-ee May contains new songs influenced by various sounds of 1960s American music: from Brill Building pop to old school country to gospel tinged jazz. It also contains a gospel-influenced cover of Joseph Arthur’s "Dear Lord". This is a Dualdisc release w/both CD & DVD content.
(DVD side of the DualDisc features): • Visual Montages To Each Song In 5.1 Surround Sound • Mini Documentary About Making The Album • Live Performance Footage • Photo Gallery