T. G. Sheppard was born William Neal Browder on July 20, 1944, in Humboldt, Tennessee. His mother was the musician in the family, a piano teacher who gave him lessons when he was very young. He soon learned what country music show business was all about -- his uncle was Rod Brasfield.

T. G. Sheppard, whose last name came from his favorite dog, the German Sheppard, said, “The T. G. in my stage name is really and truly just initials. A lot of people through the years have had fun putting what they want the initials to stand for, but they really don’t mean anything, they are just initials. I used the stage name because I didn’t want to jeopardize my RCA executive job due to recording songs with a different label, an RCA competitor. So, I was an RCA record executive by day under the name of William Browder, and in the evenings or weekends when I performed, I was T. G. Sheppard. I was able to keep it secret for about two years.”

T. G. left home at the age of 15 and moved to Memphis, Tennessee to see if there was a musical career there. He played in various bands in several nightclubs and for parties. This enabled him to develop a stage presence. He managed a small, regional hit, “High School Days.” In 1965 he became a record promoter for Stax Records and later, RCA Records.

T. G.’s career took off when in 1974 he signed with Motown Records’s country subsidiary, Melodyland. He had two number 1 country hits with “The Devil In The Bottle” and “Trying To Beat The Morning Home.”

Although his musical career was beginning to happen, he continued his record promotion work with RCA and cultivated a close friendship with Elvis Presley. The legendary performer appreciated T. G.´s unique style and personality. As a token of their friendship, Elvis gave T. G, his first tour bus in 1976. The keys to that bus provided T. G. with the confidence to give up promoting, form a band and hit the road to long-term success.

Sheppard’s country style has always been heavily influenced by his love for Rock and Roll, Rhythm and Blues, and Pop music. He has recorded over 30 albums, 33 Top-10 singles, and over a dozen number 1 hits including, “Last Cheater’s Waltz,” “I’ll Be Coming Back For More,” “Party Time,” and “Loved ‘Em Every One.” He also recorded “Make My Day” with Clint Eastwood.

T. G. Sheppard’s philosophy for life and happiness is quite fundamental: “Happiness is not a place, it is a state of mind. Happiness is a journey, a trip along the way of everyday life and it’s experiences. All you have to do is take the time to stop and enjoy it. That is true happiness.”

Happy Birthday, T. G. Sheppard!

Dusty Owens
TCM Radio News

T. G. Sheppard’s Official Website