County of memorial: Marion County
Location of memorial: US 278 & US 43, Guin Memorial Park, Guin
Memorial Text
[image of dog] IN MEMORY OF [image on musical note]
DALE SHELNUT
JULY 29, 1935
May 11, 1983
Favorite Male Singer
Singing News ~ 1970
Favorite Male Vocalist
SGMA 1981~82 & 1982~83
"Be Yourself"
"Singing Forever in
Hallelujah Square"
"As I started working in radio back in the late 1980’s, one record that I loved to pull from once in awhile and play songs from was their Today album from 1975. Today, that record still remains one of my favorites. As I grew older and started collecting records, the Dixie Echoes were one of the groups I intensely sought after. I only had 7 of their records in my collection at that time, and I desperately wanted more. A couple of records that I eventually came across and consider to be real gems in my collection are “Live” and “My Real Home” from 1973 and 1974 respectively. That live album was so much fun to listen to. I loved the song “I Want to See Jesus”, but the highlight for me was hearing Dale Shelnut rip into “Come into the Prayer Room” and “Trouble in my Way.” Those two songs, done back to back, were and are a real delight to listen to.
"Dale was such a comedian, and had such a great rapport with the audience. I have an old video of the Dixie Echoes in a live concert from around 1970, and the Dixie Echoes stole the show. This was due not only because of the Dixie Echoes superb singing, but also in large part because Dale was a master showman. They did “Trouble in my Way” and they tore the place up. With Dale’s quick wit and Joe Whitfield playing the straight man, it just made it all the more funnier as they set the song up and Dale gets into his role as the “swingin’ lead singer”. It’s hilarious and totally priceless. And Sue Whitfield, who always seemed to have her faculties fully intact, was literally in stitches before Dale was finished. A friend of mine recently shared with me a story about Dale Shelnut. There is a part in the song where Dale sings several different lines over and over and over again, much like a black group would do. One night the group was singing in Winston Salem, North Carolina and the group closed their part of the program with “Trouble in my Way”. He must have sung, "hey father" and “call Him Jesus” a thousand times over and the crowd was all over it. Earl Carney, the concert promoter, had the microphone to introduce the next group, and Dale busted back on stage shouting, “Get out of de way, Earl…I gotta sang it agin!” They were on stage for another ten minutes. The Dixie Echoes were a group that other groups hated to follow on stage, because they’d leave a crowd completely wore out!" ~ Absolutely Gospel Music: 4.7.2005