“He’s the Questlove of rock’n’roll.”
-- Johnny Podell,
Legendary Talent Agent and tastemaker
American music courses through Scott Sharrard’s heart
and soul. From the farm to the
church and the back porch to the roadhouse, Sharrard
makes music that is rooted in the soil.
All of the styles that he cherishes -- rock & roll, rhythm &
blues, country, folk, gospel, country, jazz --
whisper in one voice, like a sweet-talking lover.
Playing, collaborating, telling stories, connecting with
fans: this is what he calls “my happy place.”
“I love being a mentor, a shepherd, a music director,”
Sharrard says at his studio on Harlem’s West Side. “The
concept of community is magical to me. The rest is just
noise.”
“I think of myself as a facilitator, the way Quincy Jones
served every artistic situation. He was intuitively guided by
the music and that enabled him to capture each artist’s
singular vision.”
Since 2019, Sharrard has been the lead singer and guitarist
for Little Feat, preserving the magic of the group’s beloved
guiding light, the late Lowell George, and reimagining that
energy with his own mojo. And he can’t wait for the world
to hear the bands’ newest project, Strike Up The Band,
which will be released in the spring of 2025. Sharrard co-
produced and wrote nine songs for the album, which the
group will promote extensively with its scintillating live
show.
Strike Up The Band follows two other artistic triumphs for
Little Feat which he also co-produced. Live at The
Ryman (2022) was a riveting, Grammy-nominated PBS
special, with star turns from Eric Church, Jamey Johnson,
Tommy Emmanuel and Marcus King. Sam’s Place (2024)
received a Grammy nomination for Blues Album of the
Year.
Sharrard is also guided by the angels who surround Gregg
Allman. Sharrard served as Allman’s music director, band
leader and producer for many years; their partnership
culminated in the Grammy-nominated Southern Blood in
2017. “My Only True Friend,” an indelible song which
Sharrard and Allman wrote for the album, also received a
Grammy nomination for Americana Song of the Year.
But Sharrard and Allman were more than collaborators.
They were also confidants and best friends.
“Gregg’s spirit is always near to me,” he says.
On Substack, Sharrard celebrates his boundless love for
music in “Scott Sharrard’s Endless Road.” The column,
which has generated thousands of followers, has helped
him to further define his voice as a writer and music
historian.
As a guitarist, Sharrard has shared the stage with gurus
and gunslingers like Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes,
Tommy Emmanuel and Hubert Sumlin. Relix put it this
way: “From Manhattan to Memphis to Muscle Shoals and
back again, Sharrard has stamped his ticket and his mark
on the past, present, and future of record-making in
rock&roll.”
Sharrard is extremely passionate about social and political
causes; he has the Rolodex and the repertoire to make
philanthropic music lovers rejoice. He’s a frequent musical
director for charity events organized by Justice Aid, Live
Nation and impresario Peter Shapiro.
“Music is the ultimate celebration of community,” he says.
Sharrard is working with a number of artists on their new
album projects, which he expects to complete for his Theo
Productions company in 2025. His partner in the creative
process is longtime collaborator and recording engineer,
Charlie Martinez. Their partnership has been flourishing
for more than 20 years. Martinez has also worked with
such artists as Steely Dan, the Rolling Stones and Little
Feat.
“Today’s artists have puzzles to figure out,” Sharrard
notes. “They want to write great songs and create great
arrangements. They don’t want to make AI music. And
that’s my job, to help them chart a path without losing the
magic of the tactile, authentic creative process that made
all the timeless records we love.”
Sharrard is also turning his attention to film and
TV scoring and composition. He points to Robbie
Robertson’s collaboration with director Martin Scorsese as
a template for his own musical imagination and
collaborations in the visual medium. Sharrard scored the
third season of the CBS-TV show Walker, Texas
Ranger, and he’s excited about a new show in
development with reality show pioneer and director C.
Russel Muth which explores the connections between food
and regional music.
Sharrard enjoys teaching guitar through the
intimate Truefire platform, now the world’s largest
resource for online guitar instruction. Additionally, he
hosts individualized sessions for guitar, songwriting,
vocals and record production on Zoom.
Back in the day, Sharrard made three albums as the leader
of the Chesterfields, a boundary-busting rock-and-soul
band formed in Milwaukee and later based in New York
City.
Since then, he’s made six solo albums, including Saving
Grace, which was recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle
Shoals and climbed the Billboard Blues chart in 2018. The
album featured the Swampers and the HI Records Rhythm
Section, and Taj Mahal’s standout vocal on “Everything A
Good Man Needs,’ which Sharrard composed with Gregg
Allman. The music on Saving Grace will always be close to
his heart.
“It’s like the old timers say, ‘Take care of the music and the
music will take care of you.’”
Sharrard’s most recent solo album, Rustbelt, was released
in 2021 and may be his most intimate and personal
collection of originals. Backed by Scott’s live band, the
project also features his good friends Bill Payne, Charlie
Drayton, Catherine Russell and Amy Helm.
“The creative process is my one true obsession,” he
reflects. “In my heart of hearts, I’m a collaborator. My
favorite day is when I never have to look at the clock in the
studio.”
Once upon a time, Sharrard was touted by visionaries like
Atlantic Records’ founder Ahmet Ertegun who promised
him rock stardom. Older and wiser now, he puts a
premium on musical teamwork. His pal and legendary
booking agent, Johnny Podell calls him “the Questlove of
rock&roll.”
“Johnny’s teasing, of course. But in the service of my life’s
goal, he’s not entirely wrong.”