[1][2] Born in Whitesburg, Tennessee, Shipley was the son of string musicians.
He was later transferred to California, where he met Gene Autry who would influence his own music.
[1] Following the end of the war, Shipley returned to Tennessee and worked at the radio stations WOPI and WKPT of Bristol and Kingsport, respectively.
Another single released that year by Shipley, "Milk Bucket Boogie", was later covered by Red Foley.
His album Tennessee Swing was released in 1995, and again in 2006 with two additional tracks by Patuxent Music.