Darrell Webb has announced that Jacob Shelton has joined his group playing bass, and singing lead and harmony vocals.
Jacob is only 18 years old, but has been playing bluegrass around his native Erwin, TN since he was 10. As a young lad, Shelton was learning guitar, but picked up the bass a few years ago with his Unicoi County High School Bluegrass Band.
He tells us that it still seems unreal that he is performing with a band he is used to seeing on stage.
“I can’t believe I get to pick with these guys. It’s honestly a dream come true. I never would’ve thought two years ago sitting at Darrell’s concert at Ole Smoky that I would get to be in his band.”
Shelton is finding himself suddenly pressed into extra duty in the group, as Darrell has just this week been put on vocal rest by his doctor. Apparently the stress of singing five sets each day at the Ole Smoky Distillery in Gatlinburg has put a serious strain on Darrell’s voice.
Though he’s been advised not to sing at all for a few weeks, the doctor hasn’t shushed him up completely.
“He said it was OK to talk as long as it was at normal volume – no loud talking or yelling.
I go back to the doctor in two weeks and we’ll see how it looks.
Luckily Jacob can sing a lot, and my hat’s off to Jared and Tyler for stepping up and helping me out.”
