Shaun Young, That KelticDead Guy

Shaun is a Story Teller and a self taught musician and studio recording engineer. After his service in the United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam Era, and his retirement from engineering he took up his childhood "hobby interest" in finding, collecting, and arranging folk tunes and songs that are part of the Celtic, Folk, Americana, Country, and Seafaring genre. He is a native born Texan. In the 1980s he began working up his collection of tunes and songs for the internet as KelticDead Music Broadsides, and he made sure that the selections adhered to live recordings using acoustic folk instruments and voices. His favorite instruments include the Irish-tuned, Low-Octave Mandolin or Bouzouki, the "Celtic Whistles," Bodhran, and even his diatonic harmonicas. 

Shaun began the concept of relaying the stories about the tunes and songs that he finds and makes them into free, on-line publications as "Story Broadsides" to support a music-education experience for those who love the music as he does.

His musician friends help him with his live acoustic "projects," and while these musicians have their own pursuits, they are greatly appreciated in helping to create the projects that are part of the KelticDead Music Initiative.

Earnie Taft

Earnie Taft is a self-taught fiddler and a long-time veteran of the North Texas folk music scene.  Through the 1970’s and 80’s he performed with Saltlick, an eclectic bluegrass band based out of Fort Worth, Texas.  His interest in Old Time music led him to help form the New Dallas String Band in the late 1970’s performing nineteenth century rural dance music from America and Ireland.  This led to six years in the mid-1980’s with Tinker’s Dam, the first Irish Ceili band of Dallas, Texas.  In 1993 he joined The Irish Rogues which was known as “Dallas’ Premier Irish Pub Band”.  The band, until it disbanded in 2023, was an integral part of the Southwest Celtic Music Association and the North Texas Irish Festival.  Earnie continues to fiddle with the Lone Star String Band, performing American fiddle tunes from the nineteenth century.

Earnie uses a variety of folk instruments like the fiddle, mandolin, and banjo. Watch a full stage production with Earnie Taft and the Lone Star String Band. 

Earnie volunteers support for the KelticDead Music Initiative, as well as guidance and encouragement. 

Alan Beck

Coming out of a musical family that goes back at least four generations, Alan Beck started out playing the harmonica at five years old. By high school he was playing guitar, bass guitar, sitar, and tuba; and when he attended the University of Minnesota his major was in instrumental with tuba and voice. While in Minnesota he played a 5-string banjo, guitar, harmonica, autoharp, bodhran, bones, tin whistle and jug with “The Original Loon Band,” and appeared on National Public Radio on “The Prairie Home Companion’s Mouth Music Contest.”

After moving to Texas, Alan joined “The Crawdaddies Cajun Band” as a guitar player, and later joined “The So Relle Brothers Cajun Band” as an accordionist where he played for that group for 25 years.

Afterwards, Alan played with the Russian Bayan Accordion and even appeared in a Bayan duo with Vladimir Kaliazine. Alan continues to perform professionally with Scandinavian, Old Time, and Celtic music with friends and family and volunteers support with the KelticDead Music Initiative.

Linda King

Linda King is a long-time, Celtic and Folk musician who was and still is recognized as the founder and lead singer of Amberhawke.  She is an accomplished guitarist as well as vocalist and is currently working with a traditional Celtic music ensemble, Seisuin, and a Celtic/Mountain duo, Straw Cross. Linda is home-based in Little Rock, Arkansas, but she performs at Renaissance/Medieval Faires, music festivals, and pubs in Texas, Arkansas and beyond.  Linda also volunteers support with the KelticDead Music Initiative.