James Alan Shelton Passes Away

Beloved bluegrass guitarist James Alan Shelton died on June 3, 2014 at a hospital in Eastern Tennessee after a hard fought battle with cancer. His wife Greta was at his side and his camp said that his passing was peaceful.

Since 1994, the Kingsport, Tennessee native has been sharing the stage with the legendary bluegrass band, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys. For several years, he also acted as Stanley's right hand, doing the booking, publicity and road management.

Shelton grew up with the music of the Stanley Brothers, The Carter Family, Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs. His love affair with playing the music he adored began in his early teens and he learned to play both the guitar and banjo. Early on, he was heavily influenced by the cross-picking style of George Shuffler, who played with The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Years ago, he spoke with Glen Herbert of radio station KDHX about it, saying, "When I was about 14 years old I got interested in Stanley Brothers music, and that’s what I set my sights on when I was young."

John Lawless of Bluegrass Today summed up the loss to the genre by saying, "There were few people in bluegrass more consistently beloved than James, and his loss will be felt deeply throughout the community."

Ralph Stanley told Kingsport Times-News, "He was easy to get along with he was good natured," Stanley said. "I never had a cross word with him that I could remember in 20 years. He made me a good man, and that's all I can say."