But before we get there let me share this now...and may I clarify, I in no way speak officially on Scotts behalf.
Scott and I have joked that I could be the president of his fan club, if anyone votes for me......LOL.
I was honored to be asked, and be a part of what I'll call history in the making! I am a big fan of this young man and his talents.
With that said, I have had several text msgs, and Facebook msgs. asking if it would be ok to share my blog posts or his videos and the like.
HELL YES!!!!!
I said in Scott Shelby Part 1, that Scott was going to be a big star but would need your help!
By help I'll ask if you like any of this stuff share it, YouTube videos, Facebook posts, Tweets, please share it!!!
He has a billboard in Nashville, Tennessee no one is trying to keep his talent a secret.
In to todays social media driven world, one video post going viral to a million people and the next day your a household name....don't believe me? check out Rebecca Black and her "Friday" video that went viral.
While I don't know anyone in the radio station game, I bet I l know some who does and if that person forwards Scotts story on and they that person likes his music and wants to give his music a try on the air, that might just be the break he needs.
With all that said, please go to www.scottshelby.com and sign up for his fan page to keep up with the latest happenings and info about upcoming shows
Ok I'm gonna take a break for a few moments and share why I have such faith in this young man that I have only known for a very short time....
I could tell you about how all seems right with the universe when he sings, or how the stars seem to line up for him, I could tell you of the the struggles he has worked his way though to grow into the man he is today but all that is irrelevant when you hear him sing.....
The video below was of him warming up before his vocals were recored this past week in Nashville.... I'll be honest as he finished this song he smiled as I turned off the camera from recording as he asked if I liked it. I looked up with tears rolling down my face and could only say "yes".
When a person can evoke tears in man like myself, well thats a rare quality, If your honest you will admit there have been a song or two that you have cried when you heard it....
Alan Jackson - Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning
Tim MaGraw - Live Like You Were Dying
(after loosing my mother to Brest Cancer this song still kicks my ass)
Lee Greenwood - God bless the USA
Brad Paisley - When I Get Where I'm Going
Clay Walker - Where do I Fit In the Picture
Clay Walker - Chain of Love
Reba - If I Had Only Known
Reba - What Do You Say
Elvis - Kentucky Rain
Garth Brooks - The Dance
Ok, you get the point it takes the right song lyrics but its the vocal performance you can't forget... I could sing the songs above and you are gonna throw things at me, but with the right feel and texture in ones voice, it is truly as if heaven opens up and shines down on you.
I know as humble as Scott is, he would have rather me not put him in the same article as these crazy talented people, but I know he has the same qualities in him as they have....Hopefully you will recognize it also.
Now there is a good chance I have over-hyped Scotts performance on this video and you won't find is a emotional as I do but thats ok, I think you'll still enjoy it.
Ok for those of you who missed the video early when I posted it, let me shared it again... Now while most folks might think this is embarrassing, me. it may be the only time time I get to sing with a Hall of Fame country super star...
Now back to the Scott Shelby Story.....
After about 20 or so Socials where Scott would perform cover tunes as well as some of his own original songs folks would ask if he had some stuff on iTunes where they could download it, and the great thing is it mattered not if there were five or fifty at the socials he treated it like the most important thing in the world, Scott is great with a crowd, very likable and can make up a song about anything at a seconds notice....
Folks started noticing his talent and requesting him to perform graduation parties and wedding receptions.
Now last week when the rest of the world was waiting to see who the next American Idol would be
Scott, Matt, Matt's fiance' and myself were driving to Nashville to make our own American Idol!
I had been held up in a motel in Columbus, Neb. working on customers pictures and videos to ensure I would stay on target, and was thinking about where I would go the next few days to see some cattle and make impromptu stops and herd visits before I headed east for some booked appointments.
The phone rings and Matts on the other end,
Matt: "Mears, get to Adel, Iowa ASAP. We are going to Nashville leaving at 5:00PM, Whereare you anyhow?"
Me: "Well, in a motel in Columbus, Ne."
Matt: "Good thats a 3 hour drive, you'll have a hour to spare."
Me: "Is this a joke?'
Matt: "No!"
Me: "Do we have a plan?'
Matt: "We will make one on the way, see ya in a few hours......CLICK.......
To be honest, I really wasn't that surprised by the call. I don't know why I wasn't.... It was almost like I knew it was coming... I know it sounds strange, but so much about this trip, the way it came together, the contacts and folks we met in such a small amount of time seem so unlikely that anyone of faith would have to believe there was a much greater power at hand....
Ok, We gather in Des Moines, Iowa and pack way to much stuff in Matts very dirty SUV and head off to Music City....But wait, before we get to nashville we need to have a ScottShelby.com website working.... with one phone call our web designer was in for a UP ALL NIGHT task. How ever she needed needs some content, some nice pictures, maybe a video recording or two of Scott performing, she needs all this, AND we are driving to Nashville, it needs to happen overnight!!!!
Before we ever get out of Des Moines we find a very small musical instrument shop in a out-of-the-way part of town that we were randomly driving though...We pull in and they just happened to have a very small sound-proof teaching room that was going to be empty for about 10 minuets, which was just perfect for us to get video with acceptable audio to put on Scott's website...
Next we need some high quality photos for Scott's Web sight, now while I download the recored video the other head off to find some rail-road tracks to get a few shots for the web-site.... all this happens in less than thirty minutes and we are back on the road again.....
TO BE CONTINUED...
STAY TUNED TO PART 3 ... THIS WHERE THINGS GET GOOD...
Ok, I guess those of you who are friends with me on Facebook have noticed the last few days posts from or about Nashville.....
Seems like my city friends really don't understand what I do...other than its something with cows and sometimes I do something with bull semen. So the last week has had folks really wondering about my recent Nashville connections
Let me start by saying this....
I have a friend named Scott Shelby and he is going to be a star... but he is going to need your help.
In a nut shell let me share what I can as it pertains to this event.
Scott Shelby is a second year vet student who has been doing a spring/summer internship with Matt Lautner Cattle. MLC is a customer and also has been a great asset as we bounce ideas to help our customers, off each other....
Matt Lautner has a great mind for marketing and customer service, let me share some back story with you. A year ago Matt started traveling around the country putting on "Socials" for his customers. Now Matt started his business of selling semen on some of the best show quality beef bulls in the country a few years back and each spring travels thousand upon thousands of miles delivering semen right to producers door steps.
Now back to these socials, but before you know more on that, you need to understand those in the cattle production part of agriculture have a grueling couple of months in February and March, during calving season. Farmers and Ranchers spend about 20 hours of a days' 24 hours in the calving barn, checking cows fixing to calve or that have just calved. Take it from me if you have not experienced this its wonderful but very tiresome. You eat, and sleep in the calving barn and sometimes you may go a few days between showers. Doesn't sound glamorous but its the truth, theres not much time to go and hang out at the coffee shop or the feed mill to catch up on the local news.....
This is where the "Social" comes into play, last year Matt thought what a great idea it would be in April and May, after calving season slowed down, to, as he was traveling across the country to offer his customers a night on the town. Nothing fancy, a nice meal some drinks and a chance for all his customers in a area to shake the dust off there boots and come to town, a great way to visit with other area cattlemen, and enjoy a nice meal and maybe a few beers.
Marketing is my career and this idea is genius, in my humble oppion and I can't believe it hadn't already happened.
Ok Fast forward a year to present time, Matt hires a intern to asset him selling semen and driving each spring and this year he found out about a young man who had full ride academic scholarships all they way at Texas A&M who was taking time off from vet school to earn some money to finish his education. After about a ten minute phone interview, Scott was hired....
Scott is a singer and musician, and someone thought it would be fun if, during the socials he would pull out his guitar and play a little and sing a few songs......Now remember he was hired to sell semen and drive the truck......None of us knew just how gifted he was...
Little did anyone know where the road would lead us.........
Stay tuned for more tomorrow night....... with a never before seen video of a a performance by Scott Shelby that left this writer very emotional......
