Dave Shepherd first sang in public about five years old and started taking piano lessons about the same time. As soon as he could get his hands around the neck of a guitar, his Dad showed him a few chords and "Shep" has been hooked ever since!
Growing up in a family band was a learning experience, but from his very early teens, the addiction for riding race horses took over. Dave eventually pursued his career as a professional jockey from 1975 to 2009.
Even Money Band was started in 1981 while he was riding in Portland, Oregon. Teaming up with his brother Lavoy on bass and Gary Stevens on drums, they launched into the entertainment industry. The decided on the name "Even Money" because it means the favorite in horse racing and they believed they had something to prove.
As Dave Shepherd felt called to other places, Even Money Band continued to morph into something new with different band members and music styles. In 1990, he moved to Oklahoma and fell in love with the music there. This was influential to what his style is today.
Eventually he would meet Richard Sharp while working with race horses. The two quickly became friends and they began to see a vision for the new Even Money Band. Shep then discovered Steve Short in Las Vegas while playing a gig for Joe Merrick. They hit it off and later would team up.
After retiring from racing, Dave started writing songs again and asked Steve Short, along with the talented Richard Sharp, to be involved with the Lookin for Trouble project.
During the recording, these men knew they were onto something special. It was time to form the Dream Team and the current trio for the Even Money Band.