biography
They say everything is bigger in Texas. That saying holds true when it comes to the voice of Ron Shumate. With a voice like an old friend, he sings songs that will take you to that special place in your life. Through good and bad times, his voice carries you through times in your life as if he was right there by your side when you were making those precious memories. With his wide vocal range and style, his voice can be as soothing as a hot cup of cocoa on a cold winter’s morning or as wild as a hurricane in the Texas Gulf!
Born in Waxahachie, Texas, Ron was raised on legends such as Porter Wagner, Buck Owens, George Jones, Faron Young, Hank Williams Sr., Little Jimmy Dickens, Hank Snow, Johnny Horton, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, and Waylon Jennings, just to name a few. His love for country music goes all the way back to his childhood where he would put on “shows” for the whole family on weekend nights when his family would gather around the television to watch shows like Hee-Haw, The Porter Wagner Show, and the Buck Owens’ Ranch Show. As a teenager, he developed a wider range of musical taste and began listening to pop, R & B, and good old rock-n-roll, but his roots always led him back to his first love - country music. Voices like Ronnie Milsap, George Strait, Keith Whitley, Lee Greenwood, Kenny Rogers, and Charley Pride inspired him to create a new style of country that is all his own today.
He spent the first part of his adult life trying to be “normal”, but the desire to sing his heart out in front of other country music fans finally won the battle. He left the Fort Worth/Dallas area and moved to Waco, Texas where he began playing in small bands around town. A whole new person came alive whenever he took the stage for the first time in a smoky little bar that is probably as far gone now as cheap gasoline! After singing cover tunes on stage for several years and “paying his dues”, Ron decided to try his hand at writing songs. Drawing inspiration from his own life and the lives of friends and family, he has written a number of songs that have touched the hearts of many fans on stage and off for many years.
Not really knowing where to go or what to do, he spent several years honing his vocal abilities in dancehalls and nightclubs all around the U.S. trying to be “discovered” by a record label. With the newfound hope of the internet and the ability to reach the listener directly, he is recording his first album that has been a long time coming!!!
You may have never heard of Ron Shumate before, but it’s a sure thing that once you have heard his voice and his songs you’ll understand why they say, “Everything is BIGGER in Texas!”