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The Lonesome Troubadour returns for performance in downtown Shelbyville

Much like his moniker suggests, Mitch Ellis is living life on the road one day at a time.

Dubbed the “Lonesome Troubadour” several years ago, the Kentucky native calls home wherever he is playing music that night.

Ellis will be performing Friday night at Cadillac Jack’s, 29 Public Square in Shelbyville, at 8 p.m. following the city’s downtown holiday celebration.

Ellis’ latest song is about growing up in Kentucky just across the Ohio River from Madison, Indiana. The lyrics are an extension of the lifestyle he currently lives.

“Like 300 horses I’m wild and free, running through the kills of Kentucky. Lord only knows where we’re gonna be, 300 wild horses and me.”

The Lonesome Troubadour, a name bestowed on him during an early venture into the world of professional wrestling, credits his grandfather for his early interest in playing the guitar and Fairland-native Trent Moss for introducing him to the local music scene.

“Music is engrained in my family. My grandfather was probably one of my biggest musical influences,” said Ellis. “He taught a lot of his kids music that wanted to learn. When my time came around, he taught me what he could but mostly he left that up to his kids. They would put a guitar in my hand and say, ‘Sit right here and try to follow us. If you can’t, don’t worry, just watch and see if you can’t put it into action.’

“I would sit there and they would go through a couple of songs and eventually I would get my chord progressions right. Before I knew it, I was following along and they would hear me. They would actually stop just so I would keep playing and that’s how I knew I was hooked for life.”

Ellis spent time kicking around a karaoke bar in Madison when he was discovered – not for his musical inclinations but his sheer size as a human being.

“I was walking into a karaoke bar I had been visiting for awhile and this dude was standing outside smoking a cigarette and talking to an old friend,” explained Ellis. “He sees me coming and looks at me, looks me up and down. I’m thinking people don’t usually do this to me, I hope he’s not trying to start some altercation.

“He goes, ‘You have to let me train you for professional wrestling. I want you in the ring.’”

Ellis credits wrestling as his first foray into show business.

“One of the first jobs I had there was ring announcing and the music man bringing the wrestlers out to the ring,” he said. “Occasionally, during intermissions, I would grab my guitar and step into the ring and play.”

The physical toll of being a professional wrestler proved more than Ellis wanted to invest, but the performer in him was becoming more brazen.

“About four years ago, Trent Moss was at a bar (in Butlerville) I was hanging out in and he caught my attention,” said Ellis. “I watched his show and I applauded him. I think that’s how he knew I played music. When he took his break, he came out into the crowd and started talking to me. During the talk, he figured out I was a musician and he asked me to play his breaks.”

Although hesitant, Ellis recognized an opportunity and performed for nearly an hour. The Lonesome Troubadour now had a new purpose in life.

“I just want to keep going,” said Ellis of his current career goals. “I don’t need to stop unless I absolutely have to and if I absolutely have to that’s when they put me eight feet in the ground. I just want to play and sing for anyone that wants to listen.”

Friday night’s set is not Ellis’ first in Shelbyville. He has performed at Crosstown Bar and Cadillac Jack’s and knows what to expect from the local crowd.

“I really like the crowds,” said Ellis. “They seem to really prefer their live music than free jukebox night. If you listen to my shows, I’m pretty much a jukebox myself for the good old country tunes, usually the ones you grew up listening to or your dad grew up listening to.”

To learn more about Ellis and hear his music, go to www.thelonesometroubadour.com.

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