Shelly Williams is one of the few artist today where what you see is what you get. Actually, that is the way she has always been.
When you first see Shelly Williams, you instantly pick up on her rich musical background in the way she conducts herself on stage, whether the audience is one or 1,000. This ability stems from growing up attending her grandfather's church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Shelly and her younger sister would sing for the congregation every Sunday. "I was 8 years old, on-stage, singing every chance I could get! By the time I was 12, I had my first band called, "Shelly and the Renegades." We were a Country Band, primarily played fairs and festivals. "It was an amazing experience," Shelly simply states as she reflects on her childhood, "I've loved music all my life and I can't imagine not letting that part of me show".
When you first hear Shelly, you can sense the passion in her voice. She's a singer and songwriter who prides herself on the ability to capture everday challenges, employing music to cope through the difficult times while still reflecting on the positive. When you listen to Shelly's lyrics you find yourself relating to each word as if she had opened a diary of your life and magnificently translated every emotion into song.
Traits like Shelly's are hard to find because few artist possess the charisma and talent along with distinctive voice and style to set them apart from all aspiring musicians that come to the country music capitol of the world in hopes of fulfulling their dream. However, Shellly has been working at this for over half her life. With hard work and dedication, she has honed her talent into something she can at least call her own. It all began at age 15; Shelly and her sister Summer were offered a Christian record deal on an independent label, SMR. "We accepted the deal and had two Top 20 hits on the label. One song was even nominated for Song of the Year at the Dove Awards in 2000," Shelly recounts. After touring for four years as Christian artist, Shelly realized her style was more appropriately suited for the Country Music genre. "It was if I woke one morning and everything made sense. I knew at that moment, I had to move Nashville and give this everything I had". Shelly did exactly that.
Shelly and her mother arrived in Nashville on a Thursday night and moved into a tiny apartment in an area of town she could afford. "I had to start a new job Friday morning. My mom and I were trying to sleet on the floor because I didn't have any furniture. Finally, we got up at 3:00 AM and went to a hotel." Shelly laughs, "I was terrifed especially after my mom left. I realized that I hade made it this far; it was too late to let my fears or failures get in the way. I just had to go for it."
Shelly began to do everything in her power to meet musicians and songwriters around town, including countless hours at writer's nights introducing herself to fellow artists. Realizing that she would have to stop feeling intimidated by all the talent and years of experience, she began to view her ages not as strike against her, but as a tool. Her enthusiasm and willingness to explore her ideas turned into her most powerful weapon. As she became familiar with her new home in Nashville, Shelly's confidence grew and then one evening, she met Tim McGraw's band, The Dance Hall Doctors at a bar downtown Nashville. "Tim McGraw's lead guitar player was kind enough to take me under his wing. His friendship led to my first demo, which he also produced," she sighs. "That moment was so incredible. It's a far cry from watching the award shows on television and running to my room to sing in front of the mirror!"
Having an album with original material has enabled Shelly to extend her ties within the music community by introducing her voice to industry executives and fellow writers. "I feel as if I've grown at an accelerated rate moving to Nashville. This crash course has taught me to embrace every opportunity I am given," and for Shelly, that's exactly what she plans to continue doing with her visits to the studio.
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