J.D. Shelburne LIVE on Louisville's Waterfront Park - w/ Joe Nichols and Steve Wariner - 2009 - Kent Robbins Productions
***The Biography***
J.D. Shelburne has come a long way from the family farm in Taylorsville, Kentucky. A tiny town 25 minutes east of Louisville, Kentucky has been home to his family for generations. His father, a high school principal/ athletic director and his mother a homemaker taught J.D. and his brother the skills it took to live a successful life down the right path. J.D. spent many summers in between high school sports and tobacco crops. "I swear I was either on a wagon stacking hay bales/ tobacco sticks or on the court/ ball field sweating my tail off...but I wouldn’t trade those days for anything" laughs J.D. All that hard work and dedication taught me who I was growing up in my teenage years. Those days were times J.D. still has etched in his suntan skin.
Back in the early 90's, J.D. Shelburne followed in the footsteps of his dad and his uncles excelling in 3 sports from elementary to high school. J.D. was a starter for the high school basketball, baseball and golf team. Basketball/ baseball got to be a full time job, so golf was dropped later. After a scholarship in basketball and baseball was often thought about, it was other interest that drove him to Lexington - A relationship and the dream of attending the University of Kentucky. In the time of the college transition J.D.’s dearest grandmother passed unexpectedly the summer between his freshman/ sophomore year of college. In the midst of confusion, loss and clean up of his grandmother house...an acoustic guitar was discovered and stumbled upon. “I never saw that guitar until days after she died...and I swear my brother and I trampled all over her house throughout our childhood years." says J.D. "I swear this was an instance that was meant to happen." The guitar belong to his Uncle Tommy who through the years never showed much interest for it. "Thankfully he never sold it or I would have never came across it." states J.D.
Many days and nights were spent setting in awe and frustration from the passing of his grandmother. " I think the county shut down for her funeral.....she was loved by everyone." says J.D. While home during the summer and in the midst of regrouping and having to move life forward from the shocking of the loss, the guitar was dusted off and tuned up just enough to sound like a guitar. "One day it just hit me...and I picked it up." J.D. spent months creating chords and words into songs enough to sing it all at the same time. "A chord book just happened to be in the guitar case and I just thought this is what she wanted me to do....so here I am." states J.D. “It was a book showing Garth Brooks tunes. The first song in the book was “Unanswered Prayersâ€, a worldwide hit for Garth in the 90’s and it just seem to take a toll on my life from that point on…what an unanswered prayer it was.â€
Many nights were spent learning guitar, cutting my fingers and bleeding from the strings and hours of frustration trying to figure it out. Dedication and persistence put J.D. on his first stage in just one year of practice." I hadn’t ever felt so comfortable in my life doing something. Growing up in his hometown Baptist Church, no one knew J.D. as a singer much less as a guitar picker. It shocked everyone. Everyone in the church congregation was crying" laughs J.D. "I'll never forget that." Upon college graduation and huge success in Lexington, Louisville and back home in Taylorsville,
KY....J.D. Shelburne packed his bags and headed to Nashville in Febuary of 2008. J.D. received a production contract in Nashville and was prompted to move to Nashville to begin work on an album that would eventually land J.D. in magazines and radio stations worldwide. It was all just the beginning of a career that would eventually spark attention from fans nationwide. "It has really been overwhelming with all the overall response from fans of my music and this crazy dream...people get starstruck sometimes..and I'm just still the same small town country boy I was before I left." J.D. Shelburne has accomplished enough credits and awards in performing and honors that a book could be written. J.D. has also shared the stage with some of country music’s hottest stars. He has opened for stars ranging from Kellie Pickler to Daryl Worley to Joe Nichols to the Kentucky Headhunters.
Stay tuned for the upcoming album release from Taylorsville, Kentucky native J.D. Shelburne in the summer of 2009! Country radio is really starting to believe in J.D. Shelburne and from this point on doors keep opening and his dreams are getting fulfilled. "I am grateful for so many people taking chances on me, buying my music, spending gas to drive to my shows, and most of all being fans...I owe all of this to my fans...if not each one of you..I wouldn't be here."
***The Facts***
Full Name: John David Shelburne
Parents: David & Jane Shelburne
Brother: Tommy Wilson Shelburne
Age: 27
College Education: Associates at Lexington Community College 2004 and Bachelors in Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky in 2007.
Favorite memory on stage: Kellie Pickler Show at Churchill Downs.....words cannot describe
Favorite christmas gift ever received: Dirt bike from "Elf Ramone".....where did Mom/ Dad find that name...hahahaha
Favorite food: Anything on mama's stove, Lindsey's chili, Nanny's Spaghetti
Guitars: Takamine EF34. JJ32, Fender Telecaster, Epiphone Hummingbird
Best advice given: Always be true to yourself.....remember God wouldn't let you dream it if he didn't think you could achieve it, never forget where you come from....
Heroes: Mom, Dad, Nanny, Grandpa Wilson, Our soilders
Activites outside of music: Spending time with Linds, Fitness, web design, playing acoustic guitar, shopping for rockstar clothing, poster design, personal time with my fans, and spending the most time with my family when I get the time too.
Which artist do you think forever changed country music?: Garth Brooks
Most friendliest country artist(s) you have met: Dierks Bentley, Kentucky Headhunters & Steve Wariner.
Favorite country radio DJ's: Bobby Jack Murphy, Mel Fisher, LG Dupree, Cat Michels, Jay Cruze, Scooter Davis, Gator Glass...thanks to all of you...
Biggest tip ever made playing in a bar: $700 at Executive West Hotel on Derby Weekend 2008.
Biggest Movie Star ever played in front of: William Shattner
First dose of stardom:
Churchill Downs with Pickler or my very first hometown concert....around 800 people attended back in 2005 before it all began
My first gig: First Baptist Church
Biggest Venue ever played: Freedom Hall - Louisville, Kentucky
