Shannon Slaughter (Guitar/ vocals)
Raised in the rural North Florida town of Chiefland, Shannon Slaughter was immersed in acoustic and country music at a young age by his family. His early influences include Merle Haggard, Randy Travis, Tony Rice, Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, and the Osborne Brothers. He began playing guitar at age eight and was soon began singing in churches, livestock fairs, and other venues around the Tri-County area.
Shannon started his professional career with the Lost and Found in 1992, moving to Virginia that summer. In December, Shannon joined the Larry Stephenson Band and was an integral sideman for three years. During his tenure with Larry, Shannon recorded two albums, toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada, and performed on the prestigious Grand Ole Opry. In 1995, Shannon teamed with several top-flight Southwest Virginia musicians and created Savannah Road, recording and performing for six years.
After several years off the road, Shannon re-entered the bluegrass scene joining Melonie Cannon in 2004 and 2005. In the fall of 2005, he joined the award-winning Lonesome River Band as their lead vocalist and guitarist touring and recording with the band until 2007. In 2008, he joined Lou Reid and Carolina on vocals and guitar; holding that position until 2012. Most recently, Shannon was guitarist and vocalist in Grasstowne and featured on the album Grasstowne 4.
In his spare time, Shannon enjoys songwriting, singing, and having fun with Heather, their daughter Rae Carroll, and sons Jed and Call, reading historical fiction, U.S. History, fishing, and playing golf. He has a B.S. Degree from Radford University and an M.A. from Samford University and currently teaches AP US History and Government / Economics at Springville High School in Springville, AL. Shannon is also the offensive line coach for the Springville Tiger Football Team.
"Shannon possesses a fluid, natural guitar style that matches his voice perfectly: great tone, phrasing, and dynamics in both. This is a musical cat right here." ~~ Tim Stafford of Blue Highway