Sammy Shelor

Sammy Shelor is an American banjoist in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known as leader of the Lonesome River Band and for his solo recordings, music instruction, and session work.

Biography Early years The Shelor Family has a long banjo tradition. Charlie Poole 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, Earl Scruggs, and Sonny Osborne of The Osborne Brothers.

Lonesome River Band Shelor joined the Lonesome River Band in 1990. When founder Tim Austin left in 1995, Shelor and Ronnie Bowman took over management of the band. Shelor became manager after Bowman's departure in 2000.

Solo recording In 1997, Shelor released a solo album Leading Roll on the Sugar Hill label. Guest artists included Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and Alan O'Bryant.

Awards Shelor has received the following recognition: 2001: International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Instrumental Album Of The Year award for his involvement in Knee Deep In Bluegrass on Rebel Records. 2009: inducted in to the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame. 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2012: IBMA Banjo Performer of the Year award. 2011: Award for the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass.

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) 1985: I'm Working My Way (Rebel) 1986: Hard Times and Heartaches (Rebel) 1988: Variations (Rebel)

With the Lonesome River Band 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) 2021: "Singing Up There: A Tribute to the Easter Brothers" (Mountain Home) 2022: "Heyday" (Mountain Home)

As producer 2012: Acoustic Blue - Being Country (Mountain Fever)

Also appears on 1986: Larry Rice - Hurricanes and Daydreams (Rebel) 1988: Larry Stephenson - Everytime I Sing a Love Song (Pinecastle) 1989: Wyatt Rice - New Market Gap (Rounder) 1990: Larry Rice - Artesia (Rebel) 1993: Larry Stephenson - Wash My Blues Away (Pinecastle) 1994: Ronnie Bowman - Cold Virginia Night (Rebel) 1995: Butch Robins - Grounded Centered Focused (Hay Holler) 1997: Kenny Smith - Studebaker (Sugar Hill) 1997: Rickie Simpkins - 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 - A Vision (Sugar Hill) 1998: Suzanne Thomas - Dear Friends & Gentle Hearts (Rounder) 1998: Robin and Linda Williams - 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 - Crying in the Chapel (Freeland) 2001: Maro Kawabata - Carolina Blue - (Copper Creek) 2001: Ron Stewart - Time Stands Still (Rounder) 2001: Josh Williams - Now That You're Gone (Pinecastle) 2005: Larry Rice - Clouds Over Carolina (Rebel) 2006: Jimmy Gaudreau - In Good Company (CMH) 2006: Patrick McAvinue - Grave Run (Patuxent Music) 2010: Common Strings - Somewhere in Glory (Rural Rhythm) 2010: Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press - Memories - Celebrating Bobby's 60th Anniversary As A Professional Entertainer (Rural Rhythm) 2013: Alan Jackson - The Bluegrass Album (EMI Nashville) 2014: Darrell Webb Band - Dream Big (Mountain Fever)

Music instruction 1995: AcuTab Transcriptions Vol. I (Acutab) 1995: AcuTab Transcriptions Vol. 2 (Acutab) 2001 Knee Deep in Banjo book (Acutab) 2011: Sammy Shelor: A Demonstration & Analysis of an Award Winning Style DVD, streaming (Acutab)