Troy Shondell, American singer, Died at 76

  Music, Writers

Gary Wayne Schelton was born on May 14, 1939, and died on January 7, 2016.

His stage name Troy Shondell.

He educated at Valparaiso and Indiana universities.

Shondell was an American vocalist, who achieved a modicum of fame and recognition in the early 1960s.

He wrote his first song at age 14, which was recorded by Little Anthony & The Imperials.

Shondell also learned to play five musical instruments.

Gary’s professional music career started as a teenager.

His first single was released by Mercury Records, “My Hero”, from The Chocolate Soldier, which he recorded in 1958 under the name Gary Shelton, which was close to his real name, Gary Schelton.

Later that year “Kissin’ at the Drive-In”, a rockabilly song that went on to become a drive-in theater standard was next

Troy became a transatlantic one-hit wonder, by releasing a single that made the record charts in both the US and the UK.

His song called “This Time” (or sometimes billed as “This Time (We’re Really Breaking Up)” sold over one million records, earning gold disc status.

For a year, sales were over three million copies.

In 1968, he was a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music in Nashville, Tennessee, and the first recording artist for TRX Records, a branch of Hickory Records, for whom Shondell recorded some gramophone record discs until 1969, when he went into the music publishing field.

In October 1969, He was appointed as Assistant Regional Director for ASCAP’s Southern Regional Office in Nashville.

After 2011, Shondell still performed at shows and events.

Himself with Jimmy Clanton, Ronnie Dove, and Ray Peterson formed the Masters of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

During 2007, Troy Shondell went to Collins, Mississippi, to deliver a musical tribute to his fallen rock and roll colleague Dale Houston, who, with musical partner Grace Broussard, had reached no. 1 in 1963 with “I’m Leaving It Up to You” as the musical duo Dale & Grace.

Troy Shondell passed away at 76 yrs old due to complications of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.