Troy Shondell
In 1961, Troy Shondell's "This Time (We're Really Breaking Up)" rode the charts for four months. Within the first week of the single's release, lovers of his swamp pop sound snatched up 10,000 copies of the record. In a single year, sales rose to more than three million copies. Shondell's influence rippled through the young rock & roll community. Up-and-coming bands named themselves after him. Tommy James, at the time a guitarist in Michigan who would later score with "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mony Mony," had the Shondells. In Illinois, Jim Peterik, later known for Survivor and the Ides of March, dubbed his group the same. Recording for La Louisianne, Warren Storm and Rod Bernard also tipped their hat to Shondell when they named their act after him.
But the million-seller was not Shondell's first shot at stardom. An earlier attempt was cut short in 1960 on Halloween when a heart attack killed his father and brought Shondell home to help his mother run the family business. Until then, he'd been making steady headway on a musical career that started while he was still a teenager in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Smash label released his first single, "My Hero," which he recorded as Gary Shelton, his real name. The Mercury Records release "Kissin' at the Drive-In" came out the following year.
Shondell seemed to be on his way, at least in the Midwest. Chicago's Brass Rail, a major nightspot that usually hosted jazz and blues acts, brought Shelton in for its first foray into rock & roll. The successful gig stretched to 16 weeks. A pair of independent releases, "The Trance" and "Goodbye Little Darlin'," came next. By 1959, the singer opened shows on a tour called Shower of Stars for such headliners as Chuck Berry, the Impalas, Frankie Ford, Frankie Avalon, and the Skyliners.
Shondell's father taught him how to handle a trumpet when Shondell was four years old. Four years later, he introduced his son to the piano. Later in life, he looked after his son's musical interests. The singer cited his dad as a major influence, along with Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Buddy Holly. A song Shelton wrote about his father's passing, "Still Loving You," became a hit in country music circles when it was recorded by Bob Luman.
At the turn of the new millennium, Shondell was still performing at nostalgia shows and other events. From his home in Nashville, he also composed and produced. Along with Jimmy Clanton, Ronnie Dove, and Ray Peterson, he was a member of the Masters of Rock 'n' Roll. Shondell died in Picayune, Mississippi on January 7, 2016 at the age of 76.
© Linda Seida /TiVo
-
The Many Sides Of Troy Shondell
Pop - Released by Essential Media Group on 1 jan. 1963
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Time - The Best Of
Pop - Released by ACROBAT on 1 jan. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Troy Shondell
Rockabilly - Released by Hickory Records (2009 Deal) on 7 mei 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Many Sides of Troy Shondell
Rock - Released by Everest Records on 6 jan. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Time - Rockin' Best
Alternative en Indie - Released by Master Classics Records on 1 mei 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
That Same Mistake Again / Candy Coated World (Digital 45)
Country - Released by Essential Media Group on 9 jun. 1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Very Best of Troy Shondell
Rock - Released by Classic Music International on 21 dec. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Before This Time and After: The Best of Troy Shondell
Pop - Released by Jasmine Records on 7 jun. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Island in the Sky (Billboard Hot 100 - No 92)
Pop - Released by Music Manager on 7 feb. 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
The Trance
Pop/Rock - Released by ibomusic vs ibosound on 11 dec. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kissin' At The Drive-In
Pop/Rock - Released by ibomusic vs ibosound on 11 dec. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Honey Bee
Pop/Rock - Released by ibomusic vs ibosound on 11 dec. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Goodbye Little Darlin'
Pop/Rock - Released by ibomusic vs ibosound on 11 dec. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Time (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 06)
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by Music Manager on 19 dec. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I've Got a Woman
Pop - Released by Everest Records on 7 jul. 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
His Golden Years (Remastered)
Rock - Released by Master Tape Records on 14 aug. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Many Sides of Troy Shondell
Wereldmuziek - Released by TP4 Music on 6 jan. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Troy Shondell - Music History
Rock - Released by Vintage Jukebox on 7 apr. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo