Leslie Shelor has been a friend for many years, perhaps more than a decade, but I’m not sure because my memory is faulty. We’ve known each other through ups and downs, good times and bad and even the two hour drive between us hasn’t dampened our friendship. Leslie is one of those people you feel like you’ve known for years and while she’s physically beautiful, she’s also as plain as an old shoe. That’s one of those “Southernisms” that mean, you go to Leslie’s house and you go home. In all the years I’ve known Leslie, it’s only been in the past few years I realized her brother, Sammy, was Sammy Shelor. As in The Sammy Shelor which Leslie finds totally amusing. For lo these many decades, she’s always been Sammy’s big sister, Leslie, and never has it been Leslie’s little brother, Sammy.
If y’all know anything about bluegrass music…and by anything, I mean more than I know…you know Sammy Shelor is the undisputed Banjo Pickers King. From 1995 to 1998 he won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s –IBMA– Banjo Picker of the Year award…people, that’s four straight years! The Lonesome River Band celebrates their 30th anniversary this month and this year, 2011, the Lonesome River Band has five IBMA nominations.
Additionally, this year, Sammy has been nominated IBMA Banjo Performer of the year and…and…now I feel like one of those infomercials -grin-…that’s not all…Sammy won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass award! How cool is that, I ask?! Yeah, *that* Steve Martin is a killer banjo player in his own right, indecently talented in wide venues and a right nice guy to boot. As is Sammy. I’ve met him a few times, when I’ve been visiting Leslie, but I never have much to say other than “hi”. Stellar, eh? -LOL- I’m not one for gushing and the only thing I can play is the radio so Sammy and I don’t have a lot in common. His wife, Sue, is almost as quiet but we do have tourism in common so it’s easier to talk with her. The NY Times Artsbeat had a nice article so please read.
More good news…Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers are up for five IBMA nominations of their own.
Read Lonesome River Band news for more information and watch Sammy and the Lonesome River Band when they play with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers on the David Letterman Show on November 3!
Leslie, I bet you’re pretty proud of ole Sammy! We all are, Leslie, we all are.
Blessings ~ Leslie ~ Sammy ~ Sue ~ Steve Martin ~ bluegrass music ~ banjo pickers ~
Thanks for such a nice post! I appreciate your friendship and support through all the good and bad times and it was FANTASTIC to see you today!
P. S. The Letterman show date has been moved to November 11, not your fault in the post. It was changed just a day or so ago.
Oh to have a friend like you~
Believe it or not, I'm learning to play the banjo…it's much harder than I thought~
It's such a pleasure to read your posts♥
Kathy
I always enjoyed Steve Martin's dialogue about banjo music and how it was a happy sound. He is a fine player and I bet Sammy is too.
Interesting post. I thoroughly enjoyed it! 🙂
Hey Thistle- just grabbing a sneak peek at all the fabulous places in the world that I'll never see, certainly not before the Willows at any rate! Suburban Belfast just is not going to impress them at all after all this! Beautiful one day, and perfect the next- how sublime!
Leslie sounds like a lovely friend. How fun that she also has a famous brother.
Fondly,
Glenda
how fun to have a friend with a famous
brother!
Ahh… a little pickin' and grinnin' is always up my alley…! Love that!
Very cool. I will look those things up.
I love banjo music! I will be watching for Mr. Sammy on Letterman!!
Sending Love,
LuLu~*xoxo
Hi Thistle!
Okay, you are on the itinerary for Ratty, Mole, and Toad. They are departing Denver today. You'll be the sixth stop in the USA. Can you send me your address? My email is maston.karen@gmail.com
I'm getting ready to post about it right now.
Hello Sandra and Dave:
What a wonderful, and totally interesting, friend to have and, to our shame, all that you write here is totally new to us. Let us put it down to a different Continent!! But we love the photograph at the start of this post – utterly charming.
We trust all is well with you both and that you are enjoying the weekend. Not too much in the way of poker!!
I LOVE the banjo. And have the Steep Canyon Rangers CD. Sounds like your friend is VERY talented and has a wonderful career! 🙂
Nothing better than down home pickin'. What a sweet write of your friend, Sandra.
Thank you for the mail today, will write you later. Beautiful …
Have a beautiful weekend.
TTFN ~
Marydon
You said some really nice things about your friend. I'll bet she feels right fond of you too. I love the bluegrass sound. Not too crazy about some of their singin!
😀
Debbie