Window On The West Performers

SHARKY & CHRIS SHAUER

Ranch-raised, Sharky left home just after high school to seek fame and fortune in the music business. His talents enabled him to play steel guitar on both sides of the 49th. Unfortunately, too many years on the road left him empty and alone. He finally settled in Sundre, Alberta, Canada and took up the resonator guitar (dobro) and a day job.

Sharky joined up with Ben Crane, Julian Tubb, and Bob Hillock to form “Nitchi Creek”, a Bluegrass gospel quartet. For the next eleven years this group stretched his musical muscles to include playing anything with strings as well as lead and harmony vocals.

It was on one of these weekend gigs in 1993, at a homestyle restaurant in Winfield, Alberta, the picker laid eyes on the cowgirl poet strumming’ and singin’ “God Must Be A Cowboy At Heart”... and she stole his.

Music has always been an important part of Chris’ life. As a young adult she learned a few chords on an old farm auction guitar and started writing poetry with tunes. Her songs were very personal and she never imagined that they would be shared in public. Pursuing another of her loves brought her to Sundre to complete a Western Riding Coaching Certification Program at Olds College (bet you thought it was just Sharky!).

Then one fine January day Sharky asked Chris is she’d like to quit driving single hitch and try a double hitch. When she said “Yes”, he kissed her for the first (but not last) time. They were officially ‘hitched’ March 16th, 1996 at the first Lethbridge Poetry Gathering and they have been pickin’ and grinnin’ together ever since.

This diverse duo has performed at venues across western Canada sharing a musical mix of Western, Bluegrass and/or Gospel, that reflects their love of the outdoors and family values.

For further information: www.rideawidecircle.com

Back to Window On The West Performers' List