Born and raised in the small town of Clinton, MS, Shelly Fairchild grew up in a musical family where everyone sang. After receiving her first guitar at the age of six, her aspiration to be a country singer was set. Soon she was singing at school music events, community functions, and state fairs, and competing in talent competitions. At Mississippi College she majored in communications and theater while earning a minor in music. She appeared in local stage productions of +Always Patsy Cline, +Grease, and +Godspell, and was a member of a national touring company for the musical +Beehive.