Troy Shondell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Troy Shondell
|
|
|---|---|
Shondell in 1962
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gary Wayne Schelton |
| Born | May 14, 1939 Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 2016 (aged 76) Picayune, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1957–2010s |
| Labels | Liberty Records (US) London Records (UK) |
Gary Wayne Schelton (born May 14, 1939 – died January 7, 2016), known as Troy Shondell, was an American singer. He became famous in the early 1960s. His song "This Time" was a huge hit. It sold over one million copies. This earned it a special "gold disc" award. The song was popular in both the US and the UK.
Contents
About Troy Shondell
Early Life and Music
Troy Shondell was born in 1939 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He went to Valparaiso and Indiana universities. When he was just 14, he wrote his first song. It was later recorded by the group Little Anthony and the Imperials. Troy also learned to play five different musical instruments.
He started his music career as a teenager. In 1958, Mercury Records released his first song, "My Hero." He used the name Gary Shelton then. The next year, he released "Kissin' at the Drive-In." This rockabilly song became a favorite at drive-in theaters.
Becoming a Star
Troy was doing well in the Midwest. A big nightclub in Chicago, usually for jazz and blues, invited him to perform rock and roll. His shows were so popular they lasted 16 weeks! In 1959, he released two more songs, "The Trance" and "Goodbye Little Darlin'." These sold well in some areas but did not reach the top of the national music charts.
In 1960, Troy's father passed away from a heart attack. This made his music career slow down for a bit. He went back to help with his family's business. He also wrote a song about his father, "Still Loving You." This song later became a country hit for another singer, Bob Luman.
The Hit Song "This Time"
Around this time, Gary Schelton started using his new stage name, Troy Shondell. He picked "Troy" because of a popular actor named Troy Donahue. In April 1961, he recorded "This Time." This song was first sung by Thomas Wayne.
The song was released in June 1961. It quickly sold thousands of copies. Six weeks later, Troy signed with Liberty Records. "This Time" became a huge hit. It reached number six on the Billboard charts in the US. It also reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart. The song stayed on the charts for 13 weeks!
Later Career and Legacy
Troy released another song, "Tears From An Angel," in December 1961. It reached number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100. After that, he didn't have any more songs on the charts. He stepped away from the music industry in 1962. Even his third song, "Na-Ne-No," produced by famous producer Phil Spector, didn't become a hit.
However, Troy Shondell's music inspired others. In 1963, a high school band changed its name to "The Shondells" to honor him. The band's leader, Tommy Jackson, became Tommy James. This group later became very famous. Another band, The Ides of March, also wanted to name themselves "The Shon-dells" as a tribute. But they had to change it because Tommy James was already using a similar name.
In 1968, Troy became a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music in Nashville, Tennessee. He also recorded some songs for TRX Records. In 1969, he started working in music publishing. He was also appointed as an Assistant Regional Director for ASCAP in Nashville.
Troy Shondell continued to perform at shows in the 2000s. He was part of a group called the Masters of Rock 'n' Roll. On October 2, 2007, he performed a tribute to his friend and fellow musician Dale Houston. Troy Shondell passed away on January 7, 2016. He had been living with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
See also
- List of people from Fort Wayne, Indiana
- List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States
- Tommy James and The Shondells
