Growing up in Modesta, California, where she still
lives, Shelly developed her passion for country music in the usual ways, listening to the
radio and singing at school, church, and family gatherings. But she did not consider
making music her life's work until after she had married and raised a family. One day, she
told her husband, "I'm going to start singing now." His response was, "What
are you talking about? You can't sing." To demonstrate the error of this statement,
Shelly began entering and winning talent contests.
One contest win netted her an invitation to record
background vocals for a gospel album. After that achievement, Modesta's Silver Moon band
asked her to become a member. "It was so much fun," Shelly says. "They were
great guys. And slowly but surely they let me come up front and sing by myself." In
addition to headlining it's own shows, Silver Moon also opened concerts for such
major-label acts as Ricky Skaggs and John Schneider.
Shelly went on to form her own band, Driven Wheel, and
began writing and performing her own songs. Later she organized the Shelly Streeter Band,
gained a large following of fans and opened for several top country artists.
Shelly went on to record two albums, gaining success in
California, but a chance encounter led her to a national recording breakthrough. A guy she
just happened to meet in a print shop turned out to be a fellow songwriter. He introduced
her to Long Arms Records producer, Ramey Sayler. "Ramey has asked her to sing
background vocals but Shelly had no idea that he was also "trying her out".
Sayler was so moved by what he heard that he offered Shelly a contract. The "Shelly
Streeter" album before you now is the end product and the real beginning of Shelly's
career.
Shelly has received considerable attention over the
past few months with her video for "White Lace, Promises" appearing on CMT and
the same song receiving airplay on hundreds of country music radio stations.
From Shelly: "I hope that you will embrace the
music and it's messages and enjoy them as much as I enjoyed singing them. I also hope that
you will dream big, jump the hurdles that tell you 'no' and climb those mountains even
when you're too weary. I have done all of the above to get to this point and I don't
intend to stop here. So hang on and enjoy the ride."
