Listening to this, I found Mr. Shondell's vocal mannerisms a bit annoying. I think he's trying to sound like Elvis. But there can be only one King.
Troy Shondell (1939-2016), whose real name was Gary Schelton, was from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He wrote his first song at the age of 14 and released some records as a teenager under the name of Gary Shelton.
"This Time" was first recorded by Thomas Wayne in 1958 (he also has an entry on this website). Shondell's version reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over three million copies. Subsequent singles were less successful. Shondell later went into music publishing, working for ASCAP in their Nashville office.
Tommy James listed Troy Shondell as one of his idols, naming his backup band the Shondells in his honour. The Ides of March were originally called the Shon-dells as a tribute to Shondell but had to change their name because Tommy James's Shondells got there first.
Created May 21, 2026.