Ashton Shepherd

Ashton Shepherd was born Aug. 16, 1986, and is a native of Leroy, Ala. Her father worked in a paper mill, and her mother stayed home with their four children. She started singing country music in local talent shows as a child, began writing songs and
playing guitar as a teenager and recorded an independent CD to sell at appearances. She won a contest in her home state to open for Lorrie Morgan in June 2006. By the end of the summer, after being heard by a record producer, she came to Nashville in an effort to make connections within the music industry. An unsolicited phone call to a lawyer's office connected her to famed producer-guitarist Jerry Kennedy, who introduced her to his son, Shelby Kennedy. With their help, Shepherd signed to MCA Nashville. Her first album is due in 2008.