ROCK | BLUES | SOUL | R&B
..DETROIT MOTOWN RAISED MOTOR CITY ROCK 'n ROLL FUELED
..Star Nayea is no stranger to today's entertainment industry. Growing up in Detroit City, Star was engulfed by the Motor City Rock 'n' Roll and the sounds of Motown. Those sounds helped shape the young teenager giving her roots in Soul, R&B, Rock and of course Blues the way our forefathers of R&B and Rock intended it to be.
"Somewhere In A Dream" was produced by David Shelley who co-wrote the album with Star Nayea. Upon release, “Somewhere” received rave reviews across Indian Country as well as Canada and was placed into rotation on a variety of Triple-A radio stations in the Southwest. Three of the five singles, "Down to Love", "Fly to You" and "If I Want To" topped the charts at #1 for three consecutive weeks.
"Baby Blue" and the title track “Somewhere in a Dream” stayed in the TOP 5 and TOP 10 charts on radio stations respectively. The heavy airplay of these songs (per listener requests) knocked music by other artist’s off the charts including Brittany Spears, Christina Aguilara, Pink and Melissa Etheridge. The album went on to take honors for “Best Independent Recording” at the Native American Music Awards.
David Shelley whose grandfather was a co-founder of Capital Records became a leading exponent of South Florida artists in the 1980's who incorporated South Florida's ethnic and cultural mix into their original music, blending rock with reggae, calypso, funk, salsa and/or jazz. David Shelley achieved the most visibility for the sound, opening for major artists, getting radio airplay and eventually signing with a major record label. Performing his original music in the movie And God Created Woman, Shelley brought South Florida reggae-rock to its widest audience.
David Shelley began performing with Native American musicians after meeting noted artist and musician Darren Vigil Gray in the 1980's. Their band Seventh Son (later named The Mud Ponies) included members of the Kiowa Apache, Zuni Pueblo and Ojibwe nations. Seventh Son/Mud Ponies played at Indian events around the Southwest where Shelley performed with such artists as John Trudell, Keith Secola, Floyd Redcrow Westerman and the late Jesse Ed Davis.
After joining Florida Seminole singer/songwriter Chief Jim Billie's backing band in 2000, David performed at Pow-Wows and festivals around the country gaining even more exposure for Native American music and artist's. He continued supporting Native American artists, producing singer Paula Bowers and the teenage Seminole Blues Rock Trio, The Osceola Brothers, who often cover his songs in their live shows.
One hour after receiving his last artist record deal from a European label in 2015, David Shelley found out he had cancer. His last performance was Sunday, January 15, 2015 at The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton, Florida. He lost his battle with the disease passing over on August 10, 2015. On Sunday, August 23, 2015, David Shelley's ashes were spread on the ocean off Fort Lauderdale Beach attended by a "Paddle Out Memorial" by his family, friends and fans. A concert celebrating his life and memory was held November 22, 2015, at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton.
"Baby Blue" written for Tahee Nayea, hit in the Top 10 on American Radio Charts again this week. Tahee who was a toddler at the time the song was written also celebrated his 20th birthday just prior to "Baby Blue" hitting radio charts again; maybe a sign from his Godfather David Shelley to never give up. His mother Star Nayea resumed touring last year recently opening for America, Sammy Hagar, Arron Neville and others.
