The Herald Democrat
August 4, 2010

SHERMAN - John Samuel Giddens Anderson Sutton Shelton, acclaimed virtuoso, concert pianist, and teacher, died August 1, 2010 in Sherman.
John was the son of the late B.K. and Louise Sutton of Sherman and they were also concert musicians. John was a Methodist. He graduated from Sherman High School in May 1949 at the age of 15. John played the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Houston Symphony Orchestra as the winner of a contest sponsored by the Texas Gulf Sulpher Company. John entered North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas) in the fall of 1949 to continue his study with the internationally acclaimed pianist, Silvio Scionti. While there, John played the Beethoven "Emperor" Concerto on tour with the North Texas Symphony, conducted by Scionti, and also played 4 of the 32 piano sonatas in the 1951 Beethoven Festival, including the famous "Moonlight" Sonata and the Great "Appassionata" Sonata. After entering Austin College in September 1951, John gave up piano study for 3 years and graduated in May 1954 with degrees in chemistry, mathematics, and English, but the piano had remained close to his heart. In the spring of 1954, he entered the prestigious Civic Federation Contest in Dallas and was 1 of 2 winners in piano out of a field of 49. The next day they competed with the winners for the G. B. Dealey Award, which had launched Van Cliburn two years previously.
John taught piano and organ in Sherman and Denison from 1955 to 1959. He received a master's degree in English from North Texas in 1961, and then moved to Houston, where he was on the faculty of the University of Houston and later became a medical writer. John continued to play the piano for friends and fans in live concerts. John was truly a treasure, legend, and a musical icon and will be missed by many.
John is survived by the Bob Tate Family, cousin Jane Treybig of Boerne and a multitude of fans and friends.
Funeral/Entombment will be held at the Mausoleum located at Cedarlawn Memorial Park Thursday morning, August 5, 2010.
Dr. Thomas Peel of the First United Methodist Church in Sherman officiated.

John Sutton Shelton

Tribute by Edward Southerland

[Source: Texoma Living Online, http://www.texomaliving.com/john-sutton-shelton]

“When I was 12, I began studying under Silvio Scionti, and he taught me how to make music come alive,” said John Sutton Shelton in an interview in 2003. Shelton was a child prodigy at the piano. During his senior year at Sherman High School, Shelton won a music contest that earned him a chance to play with the Houston Symphony.

He enrolled at North Texas State to continue his musical education, but his parents disapproved, so he transferred to Austin College to study chemistry, mathematics, and English. But he could not give up the call of the piano. “In the spring of 1954, I decided to enter a music contest in Dallas, the very prestigious Civic Federation contest. I spent about six weeks preparing and was one of the two winners in piano.”

The top prize was the Dealy Award. It included a stint with the Dallas Symphony, and Shelton vowed that if he took that top honor he would turn to a full time career at the keyboard. He finished second and abandoned his dreams of a musical career.

Shelton lived most of his life after college in Houston, where his River Oaks home became a mecca for visiting musicians. He still played, but only for friends. In 2002, he came home to Sherman, and with the help of long time family friend Saundra Tate, once again took a place in the public arena. He played benefit concerts and entertained guests at the Blue Door and Angela’s Cafe in Denison.

John Sutton Shelton died on August 1, 2010, following a series of medical problems.

Mr. Shelton performed at Pottsboro High School on November 18, 2003. Friends captured the concert on video. While not professionally recorded, the audio track does reveal Shelton’s love of music and joy in playing for those in attendance. His sense of humor and playful style often belied his mastery of the piano and the greatest classics ever composed.