Josh Shilling (February 2007)

Josh Shilling is a native of Martinsville, Virginia where he was born on 5 July 1983.  When he was 7 years old, he began playing the piano.  He started listening to 1950's style honky-tonk piano & realised at this young age that he had a keen ear & was able to easily play most songs within only minutes of practicing.

By the time he was 10, Josh began competing & winning in state-wide talent shows.  Shortly thereafter, he was influenced by a jazz/rock fusion style of playing & began performing as a professional pianist at the age of 13, sharing the stage with local variety bands in Martinsville.  Throughout high school, he honed his craft in bars & at local events including everything from weddings to high school events.

Josh spent most of his extra time working at writing new material & becoming fluent in nearly every style of music.  His hard work paid off; he was called upon to work on select projects by various studios.  When he was, he was awarded the First Annual Musicians Scholarship Fund & used the money to record some of his original material.

Josh graduated from high school a year early in June 2001 to pursue playing full time.  He was hired to play with The Kings, a successful regional band from Roanoke, Virginia, when he was 18.  He began performing in large hotels & at corporate events on the east coast of the United States.  Josh added Rhythm & Blues to his ever growing repertoire of playing styles.

During his time with The Kings, he became known for his soulful vocals, influenced by artists such as Otis Redding & Michael McDonald.  Shortly after starting with The Kings, he began playing showcases with national recording artist Cimmaron.  He developed a classic country style of playing piano & his peers saw him as seasoned beyond his years.

Working with Cimmaron, he shared the stage with multiple national acts that eventually resulted in a job touring with Billy 'Crash' Craddock.  While working with Billy, he was able to travel to Fan Fair in Nashville & performed in theatres & civic centres from Maine to Mississippi.

In Autumn 2005, Josh was involved with the Detroit-based group, Balancing Act.  During the Summer of 2006, Josh toured with The Embers, a band based out of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Starting in January 2007, Josh became the lead singer of the acoustic group Mountain Heart, as well as playing guitar & keyboards.

Josh has opened for or played with a variety of artists including Billy 'Crash' Craddock, Trace Atkins, Jack Greene, Jeannie Seely, Trick Pony, Gene Watson, Mel McDaniel, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Shenandoah & Tommy Overstreet.

Visit Josh Shilling's Official Website