Allen Shelton (1969) Photo by Fred Robbins http://frobbi.org.
Banjo great Allen Shelton died Saturday, Nov. 21, after a short battle wuith leukemia. He had been hospitalized but was released about a week before his death. He was readmitted on Thursday, slipped into unconsciousness on Friday and died Saturday afternoon.
After being diagnosed with leukemia in October, Shelton, 73, remained hospitalized for several weeks in Nashville until his recent release.
Shelton, perhaps, is known best in bluegrass circles for the six years he spent with Jim and Jesse McReynolds.
“He helped start the Jim & Jesse sound,” duo member Jesse McReynolds told The Tennessean, Nashville’s daily newspaper.. “He had his own style. He had a way of presenting with his right hand that no other banjo player has had. I learned a lot of mandolin licks from the way he played the banjo, and he was like a brother to me.”
Shelton joined Jim & Jesse in 1960.
He also recorded several solo albums, including the popular Rounder Records 2001 release, , Shelton Special, which featured an eclectic selection of tunes.
Shelton is survived by his wife, Shirley Johnston Shelton of Bethpage, Tenn.; a son, three daughters and 11 grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday . at Woodard Funeral Home, 5591 Highway 31E in Westmoreland, Tenn., and again from 10 a.m. until his 2 p.m. funeral Tuesday at The Chapel of Woodard Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Sumner Memorial Gardens in Gallatin, Tenn.