Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

SHEPPARD T.G.

(b William Bowder, 20 July '44, Humboldt TN) Pop-country singer, one of the most successful of the '80s. Mother was a piano teacher; he was an accomplished pianist as a teenager, but joined the Travis Wammack band as singer/ guitarist in Memphis '60. Recorded for Atlantic c'62 as Brian Stacy; "High School Days' was a regional hit. By '65 he had married, quit performing to do promotional work for RCA in Memphis, then for his own Umbrella Productions. Among demos he received was "The Devil In A Bottle', a song by Bobby David; he could interest no record company in it so recorded it himself as T.G. Sheppard; on Motown Melodyland label it was a no. 1 country hit '75, followed by no. 1 same year with his own song "Trying To Beat The Morning Home' (both crossed over to pop Hot 100). After further top 10 hits Motown had become Hitsville and then closed down in Nashville; he switched to WB for more hits incl. no. ones with "Last Cheater's Waltz' '79, "I'll Be Coming Back For More', "Smooth Sailin'' and "Do You Wanna Go To Heaven' '80. His sensual, half-whispered style was aimed squarely at females; many hits incl. "I Loved 'Em Every One' (top 40 pop '81), duets "Faking Love' with Karen Brooks, "Make My Day' with Clint Eastwood (no. 1 country, Hot 100 pop); switched to Columbia '85 and carried on. Record sales tapered off by the end of the decade; he toured with his band Slow Burn.