Country music star T.G. Sheppard honored in his hometown, Tennessee Music Pathways

Humboldt native and close friend of Elvis Presley, country music singer-songwriter T.G. Sheppard was inducted into the Tennesee Music Pathways program at the West Tennessee Strawberry Festival on Friday, May 12.

In addition to being the festival's Grand Marshall at Friday's parade, Sheppard was honored later that afternoon for his contributions to the music industry through the statewide program commemorating Tennessee musicians.

He noted his comparison of hitchhiking to Memphis as a young boy to commence his journey as a recording artist, to being flown out in a private jet back to Humboldt for Friday's festivities in what he described as a "special, full-circle moment."

"I was a runaway at the age of 15, climbing out of the back window of my dad's house, I never dreamed that someday I'd be able to come home to such a full-circle moment as this," Sheppard said. "To be the grand marshall in the parade, I was the grand marshall a few years ago, but to come back to be honored by the state of Tennessee today with the Pathways project with a monument being constructed in my name in town here."

Coming from a long line of performers in his family, he has opened for a number of famous bands in his early career including The Beach Boys and The Animals. Sheppard has had 21 number-one hits on the country music charts over his 45-year career in the music scene.

His permanent honor through the Pathways program can be found at the Downtown Green Space at the intersection of Central Avenue and Main Street in Humboldt.

West Tennessee Regional Director for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Marty Marbry explained that the program that honored Sheppard, which launched in 2018, is an interactive guide from end-to-end of the state featuring more than 300 landmarks and attractions that honor Tennessee legends across seven genres of music: blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul, rockabilly, and rock and roll.

"These places tell the story of our musical legends like the one we're honoring today," Marbry. "Our goal is not only to connect the fans to the music but to inspire travel to a destination along the way."

Other artist commemorations are in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Bristol.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: A "hometown welcome" honored singer T.G. Sheppard on Friday