James Alan Shelton

Shelton was a solo musician, released 10 albums,[1] and performed with the Clinch Mountain Boys.

A major influence musically on James as a child were the Stanley Brothers, who were from nearby Dickenson County, Virginia.

It was in the records of the Stanley Brothers where James heard the guitar playing of George Shuffler, who had developed a style of crosspicking.

He, along with his loving wife Greta, lived in Church Hill, Tennessee,[2] until his death on June 3, 2014.

His guitar playing was unique, mixing aspects of George Shuffler's crosspicking style, Doc Watson's flatpicking and a blues finger-style of picking.