It's all about the song
Dan Shafer
Dan was raised and taught to play and sing in a small town, 12 miles west of Mount Pleasant, Michigan. His father had him singing on his local radio show & performing at Jamborees before Dan can remember. After learning to play guitar, Dan played with his Mother & Father in honky-tonks til he was in his teens. One place was 'Palmer's Idle Hour Bar' in Weidman, Michigan. He played with a number of Rock & Roll Bands such as the Bark of Paper Mulberry and the Wild West Show . After graduating from Beal City High School, he moved to Detroit to pursue his first love, "MUSIC". He auditioned for the 'Grand Band' and got the job moving Dan to Detroit. After working with a number of Motor City celebrities including Moonstone and Skip Van Winkle (#22 Billboard 10/17/70 "God, Love, and Rock & Roll) Dan landed himself a recording contract with R.C.A. Records that lasted for two years, working with producer Jack Richardson (Guess Who, Alice Cooper, Poco) in 1976 recording an original compostion 'A Day without you, dear' and then in 1978 with producer Bruce Goldberg w/executive producer Don Davis (Johnny Taylor, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.) doing the first remake of the Foundations 'Baby, now that I found you' for the RCA Tortoise International label. Also during this time he began singing and producing T.V. and radio commercials for local clients and National companies such as "Dow" and "Kentucky Fried Chicken". Also during this time, he played guitar, pedal steel guitar and sang on records with Marshall Crenshaw, Larry Santos and the Skyliners. After doing all he felt he could accomplish in 8 1/2 years, he moved to Nashville where he played steel guitar for Leroy Van Dyke on the road; Slim Whitman in a video and appeared in the CBS movie "Country Gold" with Loni Anderson, Earl Holliman and Linda Hamilton. During the next couple of years, he made his way into Nashville recording studio's and began singing jingles again for products like "Pepsi" "Vivid" "Dole" "Honda", etc. Also, began to sing backup on the Grand Ole Opry and on cables "The Nashville Network" with artists, Tim Malchak and Ed Bruce. In 1986, Dan was offered to tour with Barbara Mandrell in her "Do-Rite" band. He accepted and was featured in her "Moments" tour and appeared in the CBS "Mandrell Family Christmas Special". Since then he has toured with Lorrie Morgan, Keith Whitley, T. Graham Brown and Shania Twain. Worked 6 years on the Grand Ole Opry playing bass for Jack Greene and was part of the cast of 'Dick Clarks' American Bandstand Classics' Show.