William Louis Shelton (born April 6, 1941) is an American guitarist and music producer.

Biography

During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s Shelton was a session musician working in recording studios around Hollywood. Among his more notable session work was for the Monkees, including their first self-titled album, and both recordings of the Boyce and Hart songs, "Last Train to Clarksville", "Valleri", and "(Theme From) The Monkees". Shelton played the flamenco-style guitar solo on "Valleri", which Michael Nesmith had to mimic for the cameras on their TV series. Even after the Monkees began playing on their own records, Shelton remained a favorite among their session players. Shelton was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame and is a member of the famous group of LA session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew". Other recording credits include: Marvin Gaye, Simon and Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, Boz Scaggs, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Jackson 5, Neil Diamond, John Lennon, Barbra Streisand, the Carpenters, the Mamas & the Papas, Glen Campbell, Ella Fitzgerald, the Partridge Family, James Brown, Diana Ross, Otis Spann, Whitney Houston, Joe Cocker, Kenny Rogers, Henry Mancini, Dave Grusin, Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin and Victor Wooten. He played the guitar solo on Lionel Richie's hit "Hello", Boz Scaggs's "Lowdown" and David Gates' "Do You Believe He's Coming". Shelton became a producer in the 1970s, working with recording artists including Seals and Crofts, Art Garfunkel, Amy Wooley, England Dan & John Ford Coley, as well as Australian acts Tracey Arbon, Noiseworks and Southern Sons. He remains active and continues to record, produce, and perform. He is a 2007 inductee into the Musicians Hall of Fame as a member of the Wrecking Crew. In 2013 he was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame. Shelton, who now resides in Australia, was reunited with the surviving Monkees (Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz) during their 2019 Australian tour, and made a special guest appearance with the group, performing his famous guitar part live on "Last Train to Clarksville" at the group's Brisbane concert on 13 June 2019.

Selected discography

As leader

As sideman

With David Ackles With Alessi Brothers With James Brown With Solomon Burke With Glen Campbell With Vikki Carr With David Cassidy With Sonny & Cher With Merry Clayton With England Dan & John Ford Coley With Neil Diamond With The 5th Dimension With Cass Elliot With José Feliciano With Michael Franks With The Friends of Distinction With Marvin Gaye With Art Garfunkel With David Gates With Marjoe Gortner With Lani Hall With Dan Hill With Whitney Houston With The Hues Corporation With Al Kooper With Peggy Lee With John Lennon With Lulu With The Mamas & the Papas With Melanie With The Monkees With Wayne Newton With Brenda Patterson With Teddy Pendergrass With Lionel Richie With Austin Roberts With Kenny Rogers With Boz Scaggs With Dan Seals With Judee Sill With Otis Spann With Barbra Streisand With Sarah Vaughan