Shelley King, 2008 State Musician
Austin, Texas

Shelley King has the unique honor of being the first woman to be appointed Official Texas State Musician. A singer, songwriter, and seasoned bandleader based in Austin, Texas, Shelley King won the prestigious Austin Music Awards for "Roots Rock Band of the Year" in 2005 and "Song of the Year" in 2001 for her song "Call of My Heart". Shelley King has been described as "powerhouse", "soothing alto", "un-crying in your beer", and "blistering" all in the same review leading critics and fans to agree that it is her big voice and strong delivery that sets her head and shoulders above virtually every other vocalist, male or female, in the state. Numerous artists nationally and internationally have covered King's songs including Toni Price who featured King's compositions on the PBS series Austin City Limits and Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood who covered King's "Texas Blue Moon" on their Warner International release in 2004. A veteran of the Texas music scene with nearly two decades of professional music experience, Shelley travels all over the US, Canada and Europe performing at well respected venues and major festivals and has plans to tour Australia, Japan, and China in the near future. King has made live appearances on radio & television all over the world including recording a "live concert" for XM Satellite Radio and appearing with Texas State Musician honoree Billy Joe Shaver on the internationally syndicated radio program "Woodsongs". Shelley's music blends the best of folk, country, blues, and rock then mixes in a little gospel and a lot of soul to create her own roots rock style. Whether performing solo or with a group, Shelley always delivers an uplifting, dynamic, engaging, and fun performance suitable for all ages.