Sammy Shelor is an American banjoist in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known as leader of the
Lonesome River Band
The Lonesome River Band is an American contemporary bluegrass band. The band has released 15 recording projects since its formation in 1982. Lonesome River Band is led by Sammy Shelor who is a member of the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame ...
and for his solo recordings, music instruction, and session work.
Biography
Early years
The
Shelor Family has a long banjo tradition.
Charlie Poole
Charles Cleveland Poole (March 22, 1892 – May 21, 1931) was an American musician, singer and banjo player, as well as the leader of the North Carolina Ramblers, which was a string band that recorded many popular songs between 1925 and 1930.
...
taught Shelor’s grandfather the banjo, and Shelor’s grandfather in turn taught Shelor.
When Shelor was four years old, growing up in southwestern Virginia, his grandfather fashioned a banjo for him from an old pressure cooker lid. His other grandfather promised to buy Shelor a real banjo if he learned to play two songs.
Sam met the challenge, his grandfather bought him a Ventura banjo, and by age 10 Shelor was performing in local bands.
Shelor patterned his playing and career after
J. D. Crowe
James Dee Crowe (August 27, 1937December 24, 2021) was an American banjo player and bluegrass band leader. He first became known during his four-year stint with Jimmy Martin in the 1950s. Crowe led the bluegrass group New South from 1971 until ...
,
Earl Scruggs, and
Sonny Osborne
Sonny Osborne (October 29, 1937October 24, 2021) was an American bluegrass musician and founding member of the Osborne Brothers.
Personal life
Born on October 29, 1937 in Thousandsticks, Kentucky, Sonny Osborne's father was a farmer, teacher, ...
of The Osborne Brothers.
Shelor became a full time professional musician when he joined Richmond, Virginia-based The Heights Of Grass at age 19. That band eventually morphed into The Virginia Squires, featuring
Rickie Rickie is a male or female given name.
People
* Rickie D. Moore, noted theologian within the Pentecostal movement
* Rickie Fowler, American professional golfer
* Rickie Harris, American football defensive back
* Rickie Haywood Williams, radio D ...
and Ronnie Simpkins. Shelor played six years with the band. The Virginia Squires reunited for one show in 2017.
Lonesome River Band
Shelor joined the
Lonesome River Band
The Lonesome River Band is an American contemporary bluegrass band. The band has released 15 recording projects since its formation in 1982. Lonesome River Band is led by Sammy Shelor who is a member of the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame ...
in 1990. When founder
Tim Austin
Timothy Austin (born April 14, 1971) is an American former professional boxer. He is now a coach at the Cincinnati Golden Gloves gym in Cincinnati.
Amateur career
Austin had an outstanding amateur career, compiling a record of 113-9.
Amateu ...
left in 1995, Shelor and
Ronnie Bowman
Ronnie Bowman (born July 9, 1961) is an American singer and composer of bluegrass music. Besides his solo albums, he is known for his work with the Lonesome River Band.
Biography Early years
A native of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Bowman sang gos ...
managed the band management. When Bowman left in 2000, Shelor became manager.
Solo recording
In 1997, Shelor released a solo album ''Leading Roll'' on the
Sugar Hill label. Guest artists included
Tony Rice
David Anthony Rice (June 8, 1951 – December 25, 2020), known professionally as Tony Rice, was an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He was an influential acoustic guitar player in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and a ...
,
Jerry Douglas
Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer.
Career
In addition to his fourteen solo recordings, Douglas has played on more than 1,600 albums. As a sideman, he h ...
,
Sam Bush
Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Reviva ...
, and Alan O'Bryant.
Awards
Shelor has received the following recognition:
* 2001:
International Bluegrass Music Association
The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.
Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International ...
(IBMA) Instrumental Album Of The Year award for his involvement in ''Knee Deep In Bluegrass'' on
Rebel Records
Rebel Records is an independent American record label based in Charlottesville, Virginia that specializes in bluegrass and old time music. The label was founded in Mount Rainier, Maryland in 1959 by Dick Freeland, Bill Carroll and Sonny Compto ...
.
* 2009: inducted in to the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame.
* I995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2012: IBMA Banjo Performer of the Year award.
* 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014: Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) Banjo Performer of the Year award.
* 2011: Award for the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass.
Music instruction
Shelor and AcuTab have published tabular books and instructional DVDs.
Instruments
* Huber Banjos designed and produced a Sammy Shelor signature model banjo.
Personal life
Shelor and his wife Jordyn have two children.
Discography
Solo albums
* 1997: ''Leading Roll'' (
Sugar Hill)
Linda Lay and Sammy Shelor
* ''Taking the Crooked Road Home'' (Virginia Folklife program, Crooked Road series)
With the Virginia Squires
* 1984: ''Bluegrass With a Touch of Class'' (self-released)
* 1984: ''Mountains and Memories'' (
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...
)
* 1985: ''I'm Working My Way'' (Rebel)
* 1986: ''Hard Times and Heartaches'' (Rebel)
* 1988: ''Variations'' (Rebel)
With the
Lonesome River Band
The Lonesome River Band is an American contemporary bluegrass band. The band has released 15 recording projects since its formation in 1982. Lonesome River Band is led by Sammy Shelor who is a member of the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame ...
* 1991: ''Carrying the Tradition'' (Rebel)
* 1994: ''Old Country Town'' (Sugar Hill)
* 1998: ''Finding the Way'' (Sugar Hill)
* 2000: ''Talkin' to Myself'' (Sugar Hill)
* 2002: ''Window of Time'' (
Doobie Shea)
* 2005: ''Head on into Heartache'' (
Mountain Home)
* 2006: ''The Road with No End'' (Mountain Home)
* 2008: ''No Turning Back'' (
Rural Rhythm)
* 2010: ''Still Learning'' (Rural Rhythm)
* 2014: ''Turn on a Dime'' (Mountain Home)
* 2015: ''Coming Back Home to You'' (Mountain Home)
* 2016: ''Bridging the Tradition'' (Mountain Home)
* 2017: ''Mayhayley's House'' (Mountain Home)
* 2019: ''Outside Looking In'' (Mountain Home)
As producer
* 2012: Acoustic Blue - ''Being Country'' (Mountain Fever)
Also appears on
* 1986:
Larry Rice
Larry Rice (24 March 1946 – 20 May 2009) was an American racing driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He was the 1973 USAC National midget driver's champion and won the USAC Silver Crown series in 1977 and 1981. He was inducted i ...
- ''Hurricanes and Daydreams'' (Rebel)
* 1988:
Larry Stephenson
Larry Stephenson is an American singer-songwriter. He sings, plays mandolin, and writes songs in the bluegrass tradition.
Biography Early years
Stephenson learned how to play the mandolin as a young boy. At age 13, he recorded a 45 rpm single ...
- ''Everytime I Sing a Love Song'' (
Pinecastle)
* 1989:
Wyatt Rice
Wyatt Rice is an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is best known for his solo albums and his work in his brother's group the Tony Rice Unit.
Biography
Rice was born in Long Beach, California but grew up in Florida and other locat ...
- ''New Market Gap'' (
Rounder
Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short
* ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short
* ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy
* ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...
)
* 1990: Larry Rice - ''Artesia'' (Rebel)
* 1993: Larry Stephenson - ''Wash My Blues Away'' (Pinecastle)
* 1994:
Ronnie Bowman
Ronnie Bowman (born July 9, 1961) is an American singer and composer of bluegrass music. Besides his solo albums, he is known for his work with the Lonesome River Band.
Biography Early years
A native of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Bowman sang gos ...
- ''Cold Virginia Night'' (Rebel)
* 1995:
Butch Robins
Joseph Calvin "Butch" Robins (born May 12, 1949, in Lebanon, Russell County, Virginia) is an American five-string–banjo player with his own, distinct style. He's an individualist and, according to himself, "a seeker of information, knowledge and ...
- ''Grounded Centered Focused'' (Hay Holler)
* 1997:
Kenny Smith
Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965), nicknamed "the Jet", is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacrame ...
- ''Studebaker'' (Sugar Hill)
* 1997:
Rickie Simpkins
Rickie Simpkins is an American fiddler and mandolinist in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his solo albums and his work with the Lonesome River Band and the Seldom Scene.
Biography
Early years
Simpkins was raised in Christians ...
- ''Dancing on the Fingerboard'' (Pinecastle)
* 1998: Ronnie Bowman - ''The Man I'm Tryin to Be'' (Sugar Hill)
* 1998: Exit Thirteen - ''Wind on My Back'' (Freeland)
* 1998: Mark Newton - ''Living A Dream'' (Rebel)
* 1998:
Don Rigsby
Donald Glen Rigsby is an American mandolinist, fiddler, guitarist, vocalist, and producer in the bluegrass tradition. He is known for his solo career, and for his work with the Lonesome River Band and Longview.
Biography Early years
Growing up ...
- ''A Vision'' (Sugar Hill)
* 1998: Suzanne Thomas - ''Dear Friends & Gentle Hearts'' (Rounder)
* 1998:
Robin and Linda Williams
Robin and Linda Williams are a husband-and-wife singer-songwriter folk music duo from Virginia. They met in South Carolina in 1971, and began performing in 1973.
The Williamses appeared on Garrison Keillor's '' A Prairie Home Companion'' radi ...
- ''Devil of a Dream'' (Sugar Hill)
* 2000: Don Rigsby - ''Empty Old Mailbox'' (Sugar Hill)
* 2000:
Alan Bibey - ''In The Blue Room'' (Sugar Hill)
* 2001:
The Country Gentlemen
The Country Gentlemen was a progressive bluegrass band that originated during the 1950s in the area of Washington, D.C., United States, and recorded and toured with various members until the death in 2004 of Charlie Waller, one of the group's f ...
- ''
Crying in the Chapel
"Crying in the Chapel" is a song written by Artie Glenn and recorded by his son Darrell Glenn. The song was released in 1953 and reached number six on the ''Billboard'' chart.
The song has also been recorded by many artists including the Orio ...
'' (Freeland)
* 2001: Maro Kawabata - ''Carolina Blue'' - (
Copper Creek)
* 2001:
Ron Stewart
Ronald George Stewart (July 11, 1932 – March 17, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1952 to 1973, as well as a coach. He spent the first half of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ...
- ''Time Stands Still'' (Rounder)
* 2001: Josh Williams - ''Now That You're Gone'' (Pinecastle)
* 2005: Larry Rice - ''Clouds Over Carolina'' (Rebel)
* 2006:
Jimmy Gaudreau
Jimmy Gaudreau is a singer and mandolinist playing traditional and progressive bluegrass music. He is best known for his solo albums, and his work with The Country Gentlemen, Tony Rice, and J. D. Crowe.
Biography Early life
In high school in the ...
- ''In Good Company'' (
CMH)
* 2006:
Patrick McAvinue
Patrick Coleman McAvinue is an American fiddler, combining in his music aspects of bluegrass, swing, and Celtic music. He is also a private music educator. He is the IBMA's 2017 Fiddle Player of the Year.
Biography Early years
McAvinue is a na ...
- ''Grave Run'' (
Patuxent Music
Patuxent Music is an independent record label in Rockville, Maryland.
History
Bluegrass musician Tom Mindte started recording music by other artists in 1984 with a reel to reel recorder in his father's air conditioning shop. In 1990 Tom opened ...
)
* 2010: Common Strings - ''Somewhere in Glory'' (Rural Rhythm)
* 2010:
Bobby Osborne
Bobby Osborne (born December 7, 1931) is an American bluegrass musician. He is the co-founder (with his brother Sonny Osborne) of the Osborne Brothers and a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. He also ...
& the Rocky Top X-Press - ''Memories - Celebrating Bobby's 60th Anniversary As A Professional Entertainer'' (Rural Rhythm)
* 2013:
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many ...
- ''
The Bluegrass Album
''The Bluegrass Album'' is the debut album by bluegrass supergroup, Bluegrass Album Band, released in 1981. It's a collection of bluegrass standards by Lester Flatt, Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley and others. Ultimately, four volumes ...
'' (
EMI Nashville)
* 2014: Darrell Webb Band - ''Dream Big'' (Mountain Fever)
Music instruction
* 1995: ''AcuTab Transcriptions Vol. I'' (Acutab)
* 1995: ''AcuTab Transcriptions Vol. 2'' (Acutab)
* 2006 ''Knee Deep in Banjo'' book (Acutab)
* 2011: ''Sammy Shelor: A Demonstration & Analysis of an Award Winning Style'' DVD, streaming (Acutab)
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelor, Sammy
1962 births
Bluegrass musicians from Virginia
American country banjoists
Country musicians from Virginia
People from Virginia
Living people
Lonesome River Band members