Died On This Date (November 21, 2009) Allen Shelton / Influential Banjo Picker
themusicsover Allen Shelton
July 2, 1936 – November 21, 2009
Allen Shelton was a banjo virtuoso who came to prominence when he joined Jim & Jesse’s band in 1960. His outstanging finger play was particularly outstanding on such songs as “Bending the Strings,” which he wrote, and Jim & Jesse’s “Keep On The Sunny Side.” Shelton made his first solo album for respected roots label, Rounder Records, in 1976. His 2001 release, Shelton Special, also on Rounder is regarded as one of his best. Allen Shelton, 73, was suffering from leukemia when he passed away on November 21, 2009.
What You Should Own
Allan Sherman was a popular humorist, television producer and parody singer-songwriter who had a massive top 40 hit with his 1963 novelty single, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” a song about a child’s rough time at summer camp. It was sung to the tune of “Dance of the Hours” by Amilcare Ponchielli. That was followed by another humorous hit, “The Twelve Gifts of Christmas.” Such songs were a direct influence on likes of Weird Al Yankovic. Sherman’s career actually began in television. From 1952 to 1967, he was the producer of I’ve Got a Secret, which was based on an idea of his. He began putting out novelty records in the early ’60s. His specialty was taking old folk songs and changing the lyrics to poke fun at his Jewish heritage. One such hit of his was “Sarah Jackman” sung to the tune of “Frere Jacques.” Sherman’s popularity was short lived though, likely due to the fickle tastes of music fans. Some have even specualted that the changing mood in America after the assasanation of John F. Kennedy lead to his decline in popularity. Sherman tended to eat and drink heavily, leading to health problems as he grew older. He suffered from diabetes and lung disease and died of emphysema at the age of 48.
Doug Sahm was a Texas singer, songwriter and musician who was musical styles covered a wide spectrum, from country to Cajun to blues to western swing to rock. He was Tex-Mex. And he was Americana, some 30 years before the term was coined. A child prodigy, Sahm mastered at least a dozen instruments, his earliest being the guitar, violin and guitar by the time he was five. It was that same year he made his radio debut, and when he was 11, he made his first record. He even performed on stage with 