National country artist to perform in Athol

When this Saturday’s Athol Daze celebration turns into Athol night, country artist Thom Shepherd will be performing at the Pastime Club.

Country Music Association of Texas Songwriter of the Year Thom Shepherd is making the stop at the Athol bar, 5485 Highway 54, during a multi-state tour.

The show begins at 6 p.m. with several opening acts. There is no cover charge.

Shepherd, an Austin, Texas-based touring artist, spent many years as a songwriter in Nashville. He performs constantly with his band, as a solo acoustic performer, and as a duo with artist Coley McCabe.

He is the writer of five No. 1 singles — “Redneck Yacht Club,” recorded by Craig Morgan, “Riding with Private Malone” recorded by David Ball, Kyle Park’s “The Night Is Young,” Josh Abbott and Pat Green’s single, “My Texas,” and Kevin Fowler’s “Beer Season.”

His latest song “Little Miss Everything,” from the Bandolier Records project “12 Pack,” is his fifth single as an artist in Texas. Shepherd, along with his Radio Margaritaville hit “Always Saturday Night,” are featured in the upcoming documentary “Parrot Heads: The Movie”

He wrote the title track of Tracy Lawrence’s Grammy nominated album “The Rock,” has a song on James King’s 2014 Grammy nominated album “Three Chords and the Truth,” and wrote the 2011 GMA Canada Song and Video of the year for High Valley’s recording of “A Father’s Love (The Only Way He Knew How).”

In total Shepherd has had more than 10 singles and had almost 100 cuts by artists including Easton Corbin, Pam Tillis, John Anderson, Lorrie Morgan, Colt Ford, Bucky Covington, George Jones, Trailer Choir, Montgomery Gentry, Buddy Jewell and Cledus T. Judd.

After years of living in Nashville, Shepherd relocated to Texas in 2011 to pursue a full-time touring career.

“I’ve always written songs so that I could perform them live on stage,” he said. “It’s always exciting when someone else records one of my songs, but there is no greater feeling than connecting with an audience.“

His music has taken him on nine tours performing for the U.S. military in 17 different countries.

“As songwriters, we have no idea how our songs are going to affect people,” said Shepherd, “I met a soldier in Qatar who was on leave from Baghdad, and he told me he joined the military because of Private Malone. He asked me how that made me feel and I said, ‘responsible.’ Then when we went to get our picture taken. He showed me the shattered LCD screen of his digital camera — shattered because it was in his shirt pocket behind his flak jacket when he took a round from an AK47. That camera saved his life. That is powerful stuff.”

Shepherd was born in St. Louis, Mo., and spent his high school years in Stephens City, Va. He graduated from George Mason University and one week later moved to Nashville. He has written for five different music publishers over the years and is constantly on the road performing. He is a two-time cancer survivor, a father of two, and hosts the radio program “Live From The Redneck Yacht Club.”

Pastime Club: 683-2435