Biography

Sean Costello
April 16, 1979 - April 15, 2008
Deeply Missed, Dearly Remembered


-2014-

Sean Costello was a brilliantly talented blues-based musician whose deeply soulful singing, songwriting and guitar playing crossed effortlessly between genres. Sean entered the scene as a child prodigy, and soon became regarded as a torch-bearer, one of the leading lights of his generation.
Sean seemed to have the world at his door when he left us far too early on April 15, 2008, the eve of his 29th birthday. It wasn’t until after his death that many of us learned of his profound struggles with bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness. Sean’s passing ignited a desire among his friends, fans and family to keep his personal and musical spirit alive and to translate the human side of his suffering into action that will help in research education, outreach and treatment efforts for bipolar disorder. 100% of profits from this album will benefit The Sean Costello Fund for Bipolar Research, a living testimony to Sean’s spirit.
In The Magic Shop is Sean Costello’s previously unreleased 2005 studio album, produced in New York City by his longtime friend, advocate and collaborator, four-time Grammy Award winner Steve Rosenthal, in his recording studio, The Magic Shop. This is Sean Costello at his best, performing his dynamic original compositions and well-chosen covers with band mates Paul Linden, Melvin Zachery and Ray Hangen, along with a few guests.
“He was one of those artists who knew that playing music was a calling. It wasn’t just a damn job, it was a calling and he had no choice... That’s the kind of music maker he was.”
— Levon Helm
“Sean Costello... was one of the most promising blues-based artists of his generation. In little more than a decade he developed from a teenage talent-show winner into an acclaimed and rapidly maturing performer, unshackled by the conventions of the genre.”
— Tony Russell, The Guardian

profits from this release go to the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research: SeanCostelloFund.org , a living testament to his memory.