Allen Shelton

Allen Shelton (born July 2, 1936 near Reidsville, North Carolina) is an American five-string banjo player known for being a member of Jim & Jesse's Virginia Boys since the 1960s. His picking style is described as "bouncy".

Biography

Shelton played the banjo from an early age. In the 1950s, he performed together with Hack Johnson and the Tennesseans, and later, with Jim Eanes and Mac Wiseman. He joined Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys, and began recording for Columbia Records on December 7, 1960. In 1966, Jim & Jesse had an offer to record with the Nashville Symphony and Shelton left the band in protest. He retired from music business and began working as a machinist and welder. About ten years later he found himself once more on the road with Jim & Jesse, making records and having a good time. He made his first solo album on Rounder Records in 1976.

References

*"Tony Trischka, Pete Wernick, Masters of the 5-String Banjo, Oak Publications, (1988)