David Shelley is the son of Jazz singer / actress Martha Stewart and grandson of the late George Gard "Buddy" Desylva who was a top songwriter ("Birth of the Blues", "Sunny Boy" and the "Best things in Life are free"), film producer and record executive.
David played percussion with jazz fusion artist Randy Bernsen and was guitarist, singer and songwriter with reggae band T'shan. T'shan was wildly popular in local clubs and David took the sound even further with his own band, opening for everyone from The Clash and The Kinks to reggae star Dennis Brown, rocking the house with an eclectic mix of worldbeat and blues roots.
When some of his recordings were chosen for a movie soundtrack, Shelley was cast to play a rock musician in Roger Vadim's remake of "And God Created Women" starring Rebecca DeMornay. This lead to a role in music videos for Cher on her "Heart Of Stone" album, including the famous aircraft carrier scene of "If I Could Turn Back Time." The pop diva was no stranger to blues rock talent and drafted the guitarist to play in her touring band. Thus David performed at the 1989 American Music Awards and the 1990 and 1991 MTV Music Awards, toured the US, Canada, Australia, Ireland and the UK, and was seen by millions on cable channels like VH1. Soon after he found himself as series regular and guitarist for "The Ron Reagan Show" on Fox and his songs being played on the CBS soap "The Guiding Light", ABC soap "General Hospital", "Touched By An Angel", and "Promised Land".
David then moved to the desert in an effort to reconnect with his musical roots. Roaming the West, he hooked up with some Native American musicians in Santa Fe. Featuring members of the Apache and Zuni tribes, The Mud Ponies (sometimes called Seventh Son) played hard rocking Indian based blues throughout the Southwest.
For many years David has worked in the Native American community, performing on the bill with John Trudell, Floyd Redcrow Westerman and the late Jessie Ed Davis. He co-wrote and co-produced for Native American vocalists Paula Bowers and Grammy Award winner Star Nayea. He also performs in Native American singer/songwriter and former Seminole Tribal Chairman Chief Jim Billie's backup band.
David also had Blues Farm, an LA based band often featuring blues star Coco Montoya, who encouraged Shelley to pursue his dreams of being a blues artist. David is often invited to play with Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes' band Gov't Mule, he has shared the stage with Allman Brothers alumnus Dan Toler, blues artists like Anson Funderburg, Billy Branch, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Tommy Castro, Larry McCray and many more.
David Shelley has done the work to become one of the region's top blues performers. He headlines annually at the Riverwalk Blues Festival in Fort Lauderdale, one of the largest of such events in the country. In 2007 David represented the South Florida Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. There The David Shelley Band competed with almost 160 bands from around the world, proudly making it to the top 10 finalists.
After competing with 24 other bands, David Shelley and Bluestone won the chance to open for The Charlie Daniels Band at Sunfest, Florida's largest waterfront music and art festival, in 2010. David also beat the competition for a repeat opportunity to represent the South Florida Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in 2011.
A trip to Nashville in late 2009 reinvigorated David's songwriting and 2010 found him hard at work on writing, performing and recording original songs for a new CD to be released in early 2011.
David Shelley has been to a crossroads called Earth, where glitz and grime meet on the boulevard between swamp and desert, creating jamming blues rock music that is ancient and modern and truly original.
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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