Shawn Pelton

Shawn Pelton is an American drummer and percussionist. He has recorded with a wide range of artists and has been a first call player since moving to New York in the late 1980s.

Pelton has recorded with artists such as Sheryl Crow, Shawn Colvin, Natalie Merchant, Ingrid Michaelson, Billy Joel, Van Morrison, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Johnny Cash, Rosanne Cash, Pink, Shakira, Kelly Clarkson, Five For Fighting, Michelle Branch, Regina Spektor, Tears for Fears, Gianluca Grignani, Citizen Cope, Matisyahu, Jonatha Brooke, David Byrne, Edie Brickell, Marc Cohn, Richie Havens, Joan Osborne, Hall and Oates, Odetta, Pavarotti, Phillip Phillips, George Michael, Trombone Shorty, Carly Simon, Dixie Chicks, Chris Botti, Fito Páez and Buddy Guy, and has played on several Grammy winning albums for artists including Ray Charles, The Brecker Brothers, Shawn Colvin, Les Paul and the Hank Williams tribute album with Bob Dylan.

Pelton is also the longtime drummer in the house band for the NBC TV network's sketch comedy and music program Saturday Night Live.

Shawn was the touring drummer on Jon Bon Jovi's Destination Anywhere tour in 1997-1998.

Early life Pelton was born in Kansas City, Missouri.

"I grew up always banging on things," Pelton said describing his childhood. His first real musical instrument was a cello in 5th grade. But he "bailed as soon as possible to the drums," Pelton said. "I was running around doing gigs at 14, which was a great situation, to actually be in a band that young. The sooner you start making music with other people the better."

Education Pelton studied at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, earning a bachelor's degree and a Performer's Certificate in 1985.

Career He joined the Saturday Night Live band in 1992,

Starting in 2007, Pelton appeared as the drummer on Daryl Hall's internet concert series Live from Daryl's House.

Pelton also served periodically as the substitute drummer in the CBS Orchestra on Late Show with David Letterman during regular drummer Anton Fig's absences.

Pelton is also a founding member of the NYC-based band The Cringe.

Selected discography

Album title Artist Year released Out of the Loop Brecker Brothers 1994 Picture Perfect Morning Edie Brickell 1994 Plumb Jonatha Brooke 1995 A Few Small Repairs Shawn Colvin 1996 Live! The Real Deal Buddy Guy 1996 Midnight Without You Chris Botti 1997 Little Ship Loudon Wainwright III 1997 Marigold Sky Hall & Oates 1997 Fool's Parade Peter Wolf 1998 Burning The Daze Marc Cohn 1998 Tracks Bruce Springsteen 1998 Blues Everywhere I Go Odetta 1999 Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute with Bob Dylan 2001 Look into the Eyeball David Byrne 2001 Whole New You Shawn Colvin 2001 How Sweet It Is Joan Osborne 2002 What If It All Means Something Chantal Kreviazuk 2002 Sleepless Peter Wolf 2002 C'mon, C'mon Sheryl Crow 2002 Home Dixie Chicks 2002 How Sweet It Is Joan Osborne 2002 Hotel Paper Michelle Branch 2003 C'mon America (Live DVD) Sheryl Crow 2003 Smile Lyle Lovett 2003 Breakaway Kelly Clarkson 2004 Genius Loves Company Ray Charles 2004 Just Like There's Nothin' to It Steve Forbert 2004 The Battle for Everything Five for Fighting 2004 The Clarence Greenwood Recordings Citizen Cope 2004 Earth Tones Charlie Hunter 2005 The Legend (Columbia) Johnny Cash 2005 All I Really Want For Christmas Steven Curtis Chapman 2005 These Four Walls Shawn Colvin 2006 Black Cadillac Rosanne Cash 2006 Begin to Hope Regina Spektor 2006 Can't Quit the Blues Buddy Guy 2006 I'm Not Dead P!nk 2006 Innovation Charlie Hunter 2006 Oral Fixation, Vols. 1-2 Shakira 2006 Secret World Tears for Fears 2006 Separate Ways Teddy Thompson 2006 Stand Still, Look Pretty The Wreckers 2006 Home for Christmas Hall & Oates 2006 Sleepless (Peter Wolf album) Peter Wolf 2007 My December Kelly Clarkson 2007 Abbey Sings Abbey Abbey Lincoln 2007 Forever Ray Charles Ray Charles 2007 Hits and Rarities Sheryl Crow 2007 Supermoon Zap Mama 2007 The Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 3 Van Morrison 2007 Les Paul and Friends: Tribute to a Legend Les Paul 2008 Bleu Pétrole Alain Bashung 2008 Nobody Left to Crown Richie Havens 2008 The List Rosanne Cash 2009 Light Matisyahu 2009 Greatest Hits... So Far!!! P!nk 2010 The Essential Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash 2011 The Complete EP Collection James McCartney 2011 Human Again Ingrid Michaelson 2012 The World from the Side of the Moon Phillip Phillips 2012 Living in Color Alexz Johnson 2013 A cure for loneliness Peter Wolf 2016 Cross Currents Mark Egan 2024

Collaborations Picture Perfect Morning - Edie Brickell (1994) A Few Small Repairs - Shawn Colvin (1996) Let's Talk About Love - Céline Dion (1997) Credo - Jennifer Rush (1997) Campi di Popcorn - Gianluca Grignani (1998) Burning The Daze - Marc Cohn (1998) Holiday Songs and Lullabies - Shawn Colvin (1998) Barefoot on the Beach - Michael Franks (1999) Joy: A Holiday Collection - Jewel (1999) Timeless: The Classics Vol. 2 - Michael Bolton (1999) Songs from the Last Century - George Michael (1999) The Bedroom Tapes - Carly Simon (2000) Whole New You - Shawn Colvin (2001) Look Into the Eyeball - David Byrne (2001) M.Y.O.B. - Debbie Gibson (2001) It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook - Rod Stewart (2002) C'mon, C'mon - Sheryl Crow (2002) As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II - Rod Stewart (2003) Rules of Travel - Rosanne Cash (2003) Hotel Paper - Michelle Branch (2003) Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson (2004) Indigo: Women of Song - Olivia Newton-John (2004) Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 - Shakira (2005) Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 - Shakira (2005) Black Cadillac - Rosanne Cash (2006) These Four Walls - Shawn Colvin (2006) Romancing the '60s - Frankie Valli (2007) My December - Kelly Clarkson (2007) Nobody Left to Crown - Richie Havens (2008) The List - Rosanne Cash (2009) Everything Comes and Goes - Michelle Branch (2010) Time Together - Michael Franks (2011) Laughing Down Crying - Daryl Hall (2011) The Origin of Love - Mika (2012) The River & the Thread - Rosanne Cash (2014) This Is Where I Live - William Bell (2016)