Shaun Abbott

When Shaun Abbott gets asked what kind of music he plays, the cowboy boots and ball cap should be a dead giveaway.

But don’t hang the country music mantle on him and dismiss him as a one-trick pony, he told The Daily Times this week.

Whether he and his band are getting rowdy at a venue like Barley’s Maryville or playing a listening room like Vienna Coffeehouse — which he’ll do Saturday night — he considers himself a songwriter before anything else.

“We’re known to do anything from rap to rock ’n’ roll to new country to old country; a little bit of everything, really,” he said. “I like to invite people to a show and when they leave there, hear them say, ‘What the hell was that? That was insane!’”

An East Tennessee native who grew up in Knoxville’s Fountain City neighborhood, Abbott started playing the piano when he was only 4; he picked up the guitar by the time he was 11, and when he was 18, he knew that music was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, he said.

“My whole goal was to make my own music and have a fanbase come to my shows and leave feeling like they were a part of the show,” he said. “I wanted to reach out to people.”

He went to college — three times, in fact — but always ended up leaving to pursue musical opportunities. Although he’s a proponent of higher education, he doesn’t consider himself a college dropout, he said; rather, he sees that what he’s doing today — working steadily toward making his living as a full-time musician — as a dream worth pursuing.

“I want to show kids to not be afraid to chase your dreams, that you can give up anything to chase it because, honestly, it’s possible,” he said. “I’m somewhat proof of that.”

He’s got the credentials to show for it, too: He’s won a number of awards for his work, and he played the Tennessee Valley Fair in 2013. Around town, his name is on the calendar of live music venues almost every weekend, playing alongside other artists like fellow tunesmith Sydni Stinnett in addition to performing his own material.

“Playing with Sydni, it’s a game-changer, because we do a lot of pop songs,” he said. “It’s different, because not only do I like to have a good time and sing country music, people will also see that I’m versatile. I’m always learning from others, and that opens me up to some different ideas for my own stuff.”

By the time he landed the Tennessee Valley Fair gig, he was working with one of Blake Shelton’s songwriters, shaping his original songs in the mold of three of his heroes — George Strait, Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney. He’s been playing bar shows since before he was old enough to legally get into such venues as a customer, but on the other side of that coin, he treasures the opportunity to play for fans that want to sit and listen as well, he said.

“At an acoustic venue, I feel like I can tell a story and reach out to more people than I can with a full band,” he said. “I love a full band gig; people can sit there and dance and drink and sing. But with an acoustic gig, you can reach out and get through to somebody with a song.”

Saturday will mark his fifth appearance at Vienna, and every time he returns, there are new fans in the audience, he added.

“Just the acoustics in there are awesome, and all kinds of people come sit in there and listen,” he said. “I’m even playing a wedding this year because of one of those Vienna gigs.” - The Daily Times

New Country music artist and Knoxville native, Shaun Abbott will be returning to Gatlinburg on March 15, 2020 to Blake Shelton's Ole Red. Shaun has been invited back by Ole Red after he and his band put on a great show on January 24, 2020. Shaun will be performing on Sunday, March 15, 2020, 8pm to 10pm with his band. He'll be playing music from his latest EP, "Night Things" as well as music from other popular artist. There is no cover charge!


The last time Shaun Abbott performed at Ole Red, he and his band played 2 hours of original music from his latest EP titled "Night Things" along with cover songs from artists like Kenny Chesney, Johnny Cash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Green Day, Garth Brooks, Big & Rich, Alabama, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, and many others. The show was scheduled to end at 10pm; however, the packed house would not let them leave. Shaun and his band, after trying to say "goodnight" several times, gave up and continued to play songs for another hour to the delightment of the huge crowd that night. The fans were dancing to several songs, holding their lighters up to the song "In Color" and singing along to songs like "Rocky Top" and others. There were fans who traveled from the Nashville area and a group from Michigan who came jsut to see Shauna nd his band perform. It was a great night for the crowd, the establishment, and the band. It went so well, they have been invited back to perform again.


So, if you're looking for night out with good live music, food, and drinks, come to Ole Red in Gatlinburg on March 15th and see Shaun Abbott and his band put on another great show. You will not be disappointed! - American Music Works

I arrived at Ole Red's in Gatlinburg around 6PM. Early enough to have dinner and find a good seat to watch the show. Shaun and his band hit the stage on schedule at 8pm and launched into a great show opener song called "Kiss This". From the 1st sound from lead guitarist, Anthony Kesterson's Les Paul, the show hit the ground running at full steam. The drumming and bass playing was tight and kept the rhythm through each and every song played that night. Shaun's vocals were right on spot as he and his band played song after song as the huge crowd cheered them on, danced, and sung along.

By 10pm, Shaun and his band had put on a great show and the crowd had no intention on leaving nor were they going to allow Shaun and his band to leave. After repeatedly saying "good night" several times while the crowd ignored it each and every time, Shaun decided to continue playing for over an extra hour. Shaun ran out of his songs and played covering songs by artists like George Strait, Garth Brooks, Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels, and many others. By the end, somewhere around 11:20pm, the show came to a close and the crowd unwillingly had to let the band leave after an exhausting but exciting 3 hour plus non-stop show.

Fortunately, I was able to capture the entire show on video and some of my favorite highlights were when the crowd held up lighters during the song "In Color". It was like a sea of stars flickering through the darkness held by 100's of arms of a happy crowd. Another highlight was during the song "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band seemed reluctant to play the song; however, with the huge crowd yelling "Free Bird" whenever Shaun asked them what they wanted to hear, he gave in and decided to give it a shot. It' a good thing they did because even though it isn't a song they perform much, they did a great job and the lead guitarist, Anthony Kesterson, did a great job on the famous guitar solo at the end. The crowd loved it and was going wild as the song came to an end and Anthony fell on his back onto the stage while finishing the solo and ending the song.

There are many more highlights as well that I could mention but I'll save those and let you be surprised when you see the videos or get a chance to see Shaun Abbott and his band live. If you haven't already seen them, you should. They put on a great show and they have some really good original songs too. So, check out their latest release "Night Things" and see them on tour at a venue near you! - American Music Works