biography
Shelby Horner, began his life in Champaign, IL. on May 11,1972. Raised outside of Champaign in Ludlow. The town was small and the closest school was in Paxton. He was a farm boy, living on 161 acres. His grandparents started the farm in 1946 and to this day is a working farm.
So being country is in his blood. In June of 1986, he and his family moved to Loveland,CO. That is where music came crashing into his life and awaked his talents, singing is what he wanted in life. Growing up mostly in Colorado, he was exposed to many kinds of music, his favorite being: Country and Rock-n-Roll. His influences like many are George Straight, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, and a little Styx, and a dab of The Bob's (a capella), and you have yourself a well rounded singer. Yes he loves all this music, but his heart remains Country, like his roots.
His singing started when he joined the youth group at his church, singing praise and worship songs and getting up on stage and singing solo's and duet's from time to time. Even though Shelby had not had any vocal lessons at this time, a member of the "Valentine City Chorus" (barbershop chorus), asked him to join them. At the age of 14yrs old he was the youngest member at that time to have ever joined. This was where he was introduced to A capella singing and fostered his love for the "no strings attached" type of music. "When singing A capella you have to listen with your ears and heart. Lots of discipline and a lot of training." He sang with this group for four years.
His singing continued in high school. He became a part of the Concert Choir, Show Choir "Chamber Singers" under the direction of Mrs. Cunnimgham (Mrs.C) "Mrs. C gave me the strength and courage to follow my dreams".
As if it weren't enough to be in a barbershop chorus, and a high school choir, he was a member of the Colorado Academy of the Arts in Fort Collins,CO. He sang with the "Encore.., show choir, for five years. Each year one was required to audition, you were never assumed to be accepted. He taught a few classes for the 7-10 yr olds and really enjoyed working with the children there at the Colorado Academy of the Arts.
In 1993 Shelby walked into a local club where there was a Karaoke show, and before he knew it he and three other young guys formed an A capella group "The Livin' Daylites". They cut a CD( mostly cover songs with one original) within 2 1/2 weeks of starting the group. They performed all over Colorado and some parts of Nebraska. Shelby knew in his heart that he had to come to Nashville and work on his career there, but the rest of the group didn't want to leave Colorado. So in the fall of 1996, he made that move to the "Music City". Shelby said "Since moving out here I have met wonderful people, learned a lot, and still have more to learn. There is not a day that goes by that I regret coming here to Nashville. Music has become a part of me, my heart, my life and my future.""
Shelby has written several of his own songs where some appear on his CD "The Rest Of The Dream". Since the passing of his father, Denny. Shelby..s drive to achieve a future in his music has grown stronger. His father was a constant and true encouragement of his son's music.