Biography
Shane, born and raised in South Mississippi, has a deep sense of roots, music, and religion.
He came from a rather small family, with only 1 sibling in the household, yet had plenty of
extended family. His father was the last of 14 children and his mother was the last of 6. The Prather family lineage moved
to southern Mississippi about 200 years ago and has lived in primarily two counties in the southwest portion of the state
ever since. Commonly across the south, and especially in Mississippi, the culture has a extensive religious influence
and Shane and his family were no different. There were 4 Pentecostal preachers on his mothers side including his greatgrandmother,
Alice. Alice Upton was an early Pentecostal preacher in rural South Mississippi in the early part of the 1900's, frequently
delivering sermons under makeshift brush arbours and eventully starting a full Pentecostal Church. Margaret, daughter of greatgrandmother
Alice, was the primary religious and indirectly musical influence for Shane.
Shane grew up in the typical lively Pentecostal church services and would often listen to southern
gospel radio and tapes on the ride to church. Jimmy Swaggart, Pentecostal evangelist and cousin to Jerry Lee Lewis and Ronnie
Millsap, was commonly placed into the ears of this household. This early introduction to spirited music set the foundation
for Shane's driving country music. The family music collection was not limited to gospel. It also included country hits of
the day including Alabama, Oak Ridge Boys, and Kenny Rodgers.
One of Shane's earliest memories of music is sitting in front of his parents old 8 track/record
player console singing along to the Oak Ridge Boys' Bobby Sue, Elvira, and So Fine placing the names
of his girlfriend in place of the girl names on the record and singing his heart out.
From a very early age Shane has always been full of energy. He often had excellent marks in academics but
unsatisfactory marks in conduct! This mischievious behavior prompted his Kindergarten teacher to remark on his first
report card that he was "all boy." This outgoing disposition and desire to be on stage led some in the family to believe that
he would one day follow the course of his religious family and become a preacher and while others believed that it would
one day lead to jail time. Thus, Shane was placed into piano lessons at the age of 8 years old learning old pentecostal gospel
hymns. Shane would play and sing gospel hymns with his grandmother while she would play the tambourine.
Shane's first public performance was playing the wedding recessional at his sisters wedding at
12 years of age. At about the age of 13 Shanes musical taste began shifting to rock music and began to shy away from the traditional
gospel songs. With a lack of further musical guidance Shane layed musical instruments aside for the most part until he received
his first guitar as a christmas present from a college girlfriend. Shane has not put it down and has worked his way up the
ranks through nursing homes, private parties, small clubs, restaurants, to honky-tonks and bars.
Shane moved from south Mississippi to Dallas, Texas in the fall of 2003 and started a karaoke and
DJ service while sharpening his guitar and singing skills with the aim to move to Nashville to begin a full music career.
In late March 2004 Shane found himself finally with the opportunity to make the move to Nashville.
Since then Shane has been writing songs, and playing out in and around numerous Nashville honky tonks and private parties,
occassionally returning home for gigs in his native and beloved Mississippi. Just as when he was a child Shane is making high
marks this time in the school of music but once again misbehaving onstage.
Shane hopes to continue in the tradition of great performers coming from the great state of Mississippi
including the kings of country and rock-n-roll, Jimmy Rodgers and Elvis Presley.