Shawn Pelton
Shawn Pelton is an American drummer and percussionist. He has recorded with a wide range of artists and has been a first call player since moving to New York in the late 1980s.
Pelton has recorded with artists such as Sheryl Crow, Shawn Colvin, Natalie Merchant, Ingrid Michaelson, Billy Joel, Van Morrison, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Johnny Cash, Rosanne Cash, Pink, Shakira, Kelly Clarkson, Five For Fighting, Michelle Branch, Regina Spektor, Tears for Fears, Gianluca Grignani, Citizen Cope, Matisyahu, Jonatha Brooke, David Byrne, Edie Brickell, Marc Cohn, Richie Havens, Joan Osborne, Hall and Oates, Odetta, Pavarotti, Phillip Phillips, George Michael, Trombone Shorty, Carly Simon, Dixie Chicks, Chris Botti and Buddy Guy, and has played on several Grammy winning albums for artists including Ray Charles, The Brecker Brothers, Shawn Colvin, Les Paul and the Hank Williams tribute album with Bob Dylan.
Pelton is also the longtime drummer in the house band for the NBC TV network's sketch comedy and music program Saturday Night Live.
Shawn was the touring drummer on Jon Bon Jovi's Destination Anywhere tour in 1997-1998.
Early life
Pelton was born in Kansas City, Missouri."I grew up always banging on things," Pelton said describing his childhood. His first real musical instrument was a cello in 5th grade. But he "bailed as soon as possible to the drums," Pelton said. "I was running around doing gigs at 14, which was a great situation, to actually be in a band that young. The sooner you start making music with other people the better."
Education
Pelton studied at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, earning a bachelor's degree and a Performer's Certificate in 1985. While there, Pelton studied with Kenny Aronoff, who at the time was the drummer for John Mellencamp. During his summer breaks, Pelton sought out experts elsewhere, including Alan Dawson, who is best known as an early teacher of jazz drummer Tony Williams.During his time as a student, Pelton taught for a brief period, and also conducted private drum lessons. One of his students was Pete Wilhoit, who would later become a member of Fiction Plane, the opening act for The Police on their 2007 reunion global tour.
Career
He joined the Saturday Night Live band in 1992, saying "It’s a pretty mellow gig...It’s really only 20 days out of the year."Starting in 2007, Pelton appeared as the drummer on Daryl Hall's internet concert series Live from Daryl's House.
Pelton also served periodically as the substitute drummer in the CBS Orchestra on Late Show with David Letterman during regular drummer Anton Fig's absences.
Pelton is also a founding member of the NYC-based band The Cringe.
Selected discography
| Album title | Artist | Year released |
| Out of the Loop | Brecker Brothers | 1994 |
| Picture Perfect Morning | Edie Brickell | 1994 |
| Plumb | Jonatha Brooke | 1995 |
| A Few Small Repairs | Shawn Colvin | 1996 |
| Live! The Real Deal | Buddy Guy | 1996 |
| Midnight Without You | Chris Botti | 1997 |
| Little Ship | Loudon Wainwright III | 1997 |
| Marigold Sky | Hall & Oates | 1997 |
| Fool's Parade | Peter Wolf | 1998 |
| Burning The Daze | Marc Cohn | 1998 |
| Tracks | Bruce Springsteen | 1998 |
| Blues Everywhere I Go | Odetta | 1999 |
| Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute | with Bob Dylan | 2001 |
| Look into the Eyeball | David Byrne | 2001 |
| Whole New You | Shawn Colvin | 2001 |
| How Sweet It Is | Joan Osborne | 2002 |
| What If It All Means Something | Chantal Kreviazuk | 2002 |
| Sleepless | Peter Wolf | 2002 |
| C'mon, C'mon | Sheryl Crow | 2002 |
| Home | Dixie Chicks | 2002 |
| How Sweet It Is | Joan Osborne | 2002 |
| Hotel Paper | Michelle Branch | 2003 |
| C'mon America | Sheryl Crow | 2003 |
| Smile | Lyle Lovett | 2003 |
| Breakaway | Kelly Clarkson | 2004 |
| Genius Loves Company | Ray Charles | 2004 |
| Just Like There's Nothin' to It | Steve Forbert | 2004 |
| The Battle for Everything | Five for Fighting | 2004 |
| The Clarence Greenwood Recordings | Citizen Cope | 2004 |
| Earth Tones | Charlie Hunter | 2005 |
| The Legend | Johnny Cash | 2005 |
| All I Really Want For Christmas | Steven Curtis Chapman | 2005 |
| These Four Walls | Shawn Colvin | 2006 |
| Black Cadillac | Rosanne Cash | 2006 |
| Begin to Hope | Regina Spektor | 2006 |
| Can't Quit the Blues | Buddy Guy | 2006 |
| I'm Not Dead | P!nk | 2006 |
| Innovation | Charlie Hunter | 2006 |
| Oral Fixation, Vols. 1-2 | Shakira | 2006 |
| Secret World | Tears for Fears | 2006 |
| Separate Ways | Teddy Thompson | 2006 |
| Stand Still, Look Pretty | The Wreckers | 2006 |
| Home for Christmas | Hall & Oates | 2006 |
| Sleepless | Peter Wolf | 2007 |
| My December | Kelly Clarkson | 2007 |
| Abbey Sings Abbey | Abbey Lincoln | 2007 |
| Forever Ray Charles | Ray Charles | 2007 |
| Hits and Rarities | Sheryl Crow | 2007 |
| Supermoon | Zap Mama | 2007 |
| The Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 3 | Van Morrison | 2007 |
| Les Paul and Friends: Tribute to a Legend | Les Paul | 2008 |
| Bleu Pétrole | Alain Bashung | 2008 |
| Nobody Left to Crown | Richie Havens | 2008 |
| The List | Rosanne Cash | 2009 |
| Light | Matisyahu | 2009 |
| Greatest Hits... So Far!!! | P!nk | 2010 |
| The Essential Rosanne Cash | Rosanne Cash | 2011 |
| The Complete EP Collection | James McCartney | 2011 |
| Human Again | Ingrid Michaelson | 2012 |
| The World from the Side of the Moon | Phillip Phillips | 2012 |
| Living in Color | Alexz Johnson | 2013 |
| A cure for loneliness | Peter Wolf | 2016 |
| Cross Currents | Mark Egan | 2024 |