Early Life
He was born at Danville Regional Medical Center in Danville, Virginia to Jenks and Eloise Shelton in 1952, but was raised in Grit, Virginia and went to High school in Gretna, Virginia. Although "Van" is a common portion of surnames derived from people of Dutch origin, "Van" in this case is Ricky's middle name.
Shelton's father sang Gospel music while he was still a child, and from this Shelton also sang Gospel, but he also liked Pop music. He was soon in church, singing Gospel music. When he was a teenager, however, Shelton discovered Country music. He soon started singing in his brother's band, singing Country music, and performed at any local gathering he could.
Read more about this topic: Ricky Van Shelton
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