Becton, Shelton

Shelton L. Becton was born in North Carolina. Falling in love with the piano at the age of four, he taught himself to play. He accompanied his first church choir at the age of seven. He attended Howard University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance.

Being well versed at the piano, pipe organ, synthesizer, and as a vocalist, Shelton has served in a variety of professional capacities. His expertise as a musical director, arranger, and vocal accompanist has been commissioned by such well-known artists as Judy Collins, for whom he served for a seven-year term, Roz Ryan of TV’s “Amen" & "The Andersons," Roberta Flack, Phylicia Rashad, and Patti Austin.

Shelton’s vocal accomplishments are in a multitude of genres. Singing pop, urban contemporary, classical, country, and gospel styles demonstrate his vocal agility. His rich resonant quality has been featured in such commercials as Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Kodak, and General Motors. Shelton’s inspired and uplifting compositions have been hailed and featured by prestigious choirs such as the Eastern High School Choir of Washington, D.C., the Riverside Church Inspirational Choir of New York, the Morehouse and Spellman Choirs of Atlanta, Georgia, and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir of Brooklyn, New York. His compositions have been televised on the Cosby Show, Christmas in Washington and the UNICEF Broadcast taped in Amsterdam.