Born October 7, 1924, in Salem, OR; died of a stroke, June 8, 1997, in Portland, OR. Actor. Shelton is remembered for being the first to play the role ofthe bald businessman Daddy Warbucks in the stage musical Annie. Although Shelton had hair when he began his Annie run at Connecticut's Goodspeed Opera House, he opted to shave his head for later performances. Many others who have performed the role have followed his lead. Shelton's stint as Daddy Warbacks ran for three years on Broadway and included more than 2,300 performances. Early in his career, he worked as a singer at Radio City Music Hall. He made hisNew York stage debut in Wish You Were Here and his London debut in Phedre. His other appearances include 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, My Fair Lady, Oh, Whata Lovely War!, The Saint of Beeker Street, By the Beautiful Sea, and Carousel. He toured in various productions, including Annie, The Rothschilds, 1776,My Fair Lady, and Phedre. His work in Annie earned him an Antoinette Perry Award nomination. His work in Man with a Load of Mischief also earned him recognition as best actor in a musical and a Drama Desk Award nomination. Sheltonalso appeared on television as well in shows such as Tales of the Gold Monkey, Merv Griffin Show, St. Elsewhere, Remington Steele, Golden Girls, Cheers, Knight Rider, Family Ties, L.A. Law, Three's Company, Webster, Hunter, Amen, and The Scarecrow and Mrs. King. He also appeared in the HBO series First andTen.
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