Local musician's 'Man on the Hill' was 40 years in the making

John Stanley Shelley wrote one of the tracks on his debut album, “Eight Singles,” about four decades before the CD was made. That’s the way life can be sometimes, unexpected and surprising.

Those twists and turns delayed his musical career, but they also provide fodder for his immediate follow-up act: “Man on the Hill,” a theatrical rock opera that features the story of a man’s life, interwoven with live performances of the tracks from his first album.

“Man on the Hill” debuts with two dates at the Franklin Opera House this weekend, then it’s two performances at the Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium on April 8 and 9, then Shelley and company will take the show to Derry, Littleton, Claremont and Rochester.

Shelley wrote “The Man on the Hill,” named after that song he wrote as a 19-year-old, after his album was pressed, as a way to bring his songs to life and present them in a way that most music listeners don’t think about rock tunes. In the show, Shelley, now 61, portrays a man in the second half of his life, telling his story from the comfort of his living room.

Over the course of the two-hour show, Shelley’s narrative pauses as the stage lights illuminate a keyboardist, drummer and bass player — Doug Sally, Stephen Austin, Shawn Chase — on an elevated stage behind him, and all four will perform a song.

“The Man on the Hill” is part intimate living room chat, part rock show, and its creator hopes it will resonate with audience members.

Shelley, who lives in Laconia, said he was first bitten by music as a child, sitting in front of his parents’ stereo system and dropping the needle on the soundtrack of the 1971 rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar.” That experience impressed upon him the power of music to connect with listeners in profound ways. It would be decades before he could try to wield that power himself, though.

“I was living a regular life with a wife, kids, family, a major career,” Shelley said. “Music never got to be center stage, the main focus of my life.”

That changed several years ago, when he and his wife were able to retire from their “regular life,” and moved to Belize. There, they ran a bed-and-breakfast by day, and Shelley spent nights channeling Jimmy Buffett at the local beach bars.

The vacationing Americans who patronized these bars were seeking the ocean breezes and cocktails, and it gave Shelley the perfect environment to learn how to cut through those tempting distractions to draw listeners into his music.

Or, as he said, “That’s how I became a professional musician.”

“Eight Singles” came out in 2019, and after all of the work that went into writing the songs, performing and recording the tracks, mixing and editing, designing the cover art, he had the depressing thought that it would just be tossed into an ocean already rolling with countless other albums.

“This is just another CD,” he said. “What is going to make this stick out or be different?” The answer to his questions was to create a stage show, an event to entertain and connect with audiences, to get them to really hear his songs. His first version was a one-man show, with Shelley performing solo in front of backing tracks. He squeaked out one performance, then the pandemic hit.

The coronavirus might have curtailed his first theatrical tour, but Shelley sought opportunity in the adversity. He took the time to expand the show, bringing in a full live band to replace the recorded music, and they’ve spent the last six months rehearsing.

“It’s been a ton of work, but the payoff has been enormous,” Shelley said.

Shelley anticipates that most of the audience members will be closer to his age, though he said there’s nothing that would be inappropriate for younger audiences.

“I don’t see anyone not liking it,” he said.

Ideally, Shelley said he would like to see this initial tour build a buzz around the show and lead to more dates, and bigger venues. But, he said, he’ll know much sooner if he’s achieved his real goal.

“The most important thing when I’m performing is connecting with the audience, period,” Shelley said. “Success will be when I look out in the audience, and all I have to see is someone smiling, laughing, crying, clapping. It is a success if I touch someone’s soul... I can’t wait to hit the stage on Friday night.”

For more information, visit johnstanleyshelley.com/manonthehill.