Thom Shepherd is the CMA of Texas Songwriter of the Year. An Austin, Texas-based touring artist who 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 #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 5th single as an artist in Texas. Thom, 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 Thom has had over 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, Thom 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 says. “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 9 tours performing for our military in 17 different countries. "As songwriters, we have no idea how our songs are going to affect people," says Thom, "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 felt 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 flack jacket when he took a round from an AK47. That camera saved his life. That is powerful stuff."
He was born in St. Louis, Missouri and spent his high school years in Stephens City, Virginia. He graduated from George Mason University and one week later moved to Nashville. He has written for 5 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.”
