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Allen Shadd - Biography |
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Allen Shadd started playing guitar at the age of 7. He
learned to play by ear, playing along with the radio. At the age of 10 he
attended his first bluegrass festival and from then on it has remained as
his favorite music. Inspired by several local guitarists, he started
finding recordings by Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Mark O'Conner and Clarence
White. Inspired by O'Conner's live performance at Winfield, Kansas, on his
record "Pickin' in the Wind", Allen went there in 1979 at the age of 14 to
compete. He was not ready for this but it remained as a driving force in
his music for years to come, as well as becoming a self-set goal to win
this prestigious title.
Two of Allen’s earliest and biggest influences would turn out to be Randy Howard whom he met when Randy was 15 and Allen was 12, and Billy Sandlin, then playing guitar for Claire Lynch and the Front Porch String Band. In following his mentor Billy, Allen became familiar with the music of Front Porch to the point that at age 15 he was asked to play banjo and guitar with them for the summer until school resumed. Allen played with them for a few months until they found full time band members to fill the vacant spots. He was also juggling time as a banjo player for Hubert Cox and Southern Grass, a well known south Georgia fiddler. Randy Howard was the most phenomenal musician Allen had met, and had a competitive spirit that Allen would look to later on when he chose to compete on the flatpicking contest circuit himself. Randy had the ability to play very intricate pieces of music, but they managed to remain musical at the same time, something a lot of players are unable to do in contest style arrangements. Allen began playing electric guitar around the age of 16 and played in several local "bar bands". His influences became more rounded from other genres of music that he previously had not pursued, such as players like Albert Lee and Steve Morse. Then, Allen decided to take a break from music for awhile and pursue the family life and day job. This break turned into a six year long hiatus. In 1991 he returned to music, playing lead guitar for the country band Hipshot at one of Central Florida's leading theme parks. Following that he was a staff musician for a local television show in Jacksonville. He soon missed his bluegrass roots, and began playing with several local groups including Highstrung. In 1995 Allen decided to try competitions again. For the next 3 years
he competed in most all the major guitar contests showing several 2nd and
3rd place finishes in such contests as Merefest and the national
championship held in Winfield, Kansas. In his last 18 months of competing
Allen won every major contest including the Steve Kaufman guitar camp
competition in 1997, the national championship in Winfield, Kansas in
September of 1997 and the Doc Watson International guitar competition at
Merefest in 1998. In the words of Steve Kaufman, he became the first
"triple crown" winner, taking all three within a twelve month period.
In 1995 Allen went into the studio with a project to include some of his friends that had helped him coming up in bluegrass. A Cut Above was recorded in October of 1995 it included the talents of Claire Lynch, Alan O'Bryant, Randy Howard, T. Michael Coleman, Billy Sandlin, Mark Johnson and many others. The CD included traditional bluegrass arrangements such as "The Old Crossroads" as well as several original compositions. The album received excellent reviews when it was released. Allen continues to play with various bands which have included Mark
Johnson and Clawgrass (recording with Mark on his Bridging the Gap CD),
and performed with Nancy Moore and Nashville Highway in support of her CD
‘Local Flowers’ for music icons Tom T. Hall and his wife Ms. Dixie. He also
performs local functions with local favorites A Blast of Grass, and his
trio ‘A Cut Above’ featuring Terry Campbell and Steve Pruett.
And if any southern rock fans have wondered what may have become of the
members of the Rossington-Collings band that didn’t rejoin with Lynyrd
Skynyrd, wonder no more. The gentleman behind their multi-platinum records
as writer/producer/vocalist/guitarist is Barry Lee Harwood. Allen recently
recorded a project with Barry Lee, along with Derek Hess (the drummer from
RCB), and members Steve Perez and Billy Prince. It has been a long awaited
project, but is soon to be released as ‘Chariot’.
Along with all of this, Allen has shared the stage with various bands and musicians that over the years have included the likes of Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements, Chesapeake, Dan Crary, Norman Blake, Steve Kaufman, Doyle Dykes and many more. He also has written articles for several magazines, including Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and Acoustic Musician. He continues to perform workshops regularly at venues including IBMA, Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Camp, and music stores and festivals throughout the U.S. He also competes in an occasional contest, and had served in various music associations in many capacities. His love for what he does is evident in his desire to share it with others. Be sure to see him if he comes near you. |
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