RIP @heltershelton

[Bodean]

All, I found this forum, actually family, based on a post in Kelly's obituary. My name is John Ford and I went to high school with Kelly Shelton. We were in auto mechanics class together. I want to share with you our Eisenhower High School "Eagles to Angles" tribute page to our fallen class mates. In this case, class of 1987. Kelly Shelton. I have many memories to share but I have not talked to Kelly in 15, or so years. Having found this thread, I am very happy to so how loved @heltershelton was. It also makes me sad. For those of you that were wanting to reach out to his family, I am not in contact but there are those in that Eagles thread who are. Leonard Head, and Troy Roach Campain. Please feel free to reach out to them as I am sure they will not mind. I want to share a lot and I will, but for now I have this. Kelly was a wild Mother F*cker! He lived life just as he should have because he knew from a young age he was at risk. His first heart surgery was when he was in 5th grade. Everything he go into, he pushed himself to excel and be the best he could be at whatever it was he was into at the time. I really enjoyed reading everyone's tribute to @heltershelton. I wish I knew him as well as many of you did.

Unrelated, but not really, I began playing guitar again one year ago Spring Break. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time. I own two MIM Strats. One is a modified Noventa (Daphne Blue), the other an Albert Hammond Jr. signature Strat. Both are pretty nice instruments. I will join you as a member in this forum but the reason I joined was because of @heltershelton. It is a shame I can't share any of this with him.

Thank you @tubedude for posting on Kelly's memorial. That is how I found this place.

To be continued.

Thanks for coming here to share your memories.

 

[Guitarheel]

Great memories.

I remember his honesty and his love for what is right.

When I hear him play guitar: I hear his heart.

Let’s all take some time to remember what is important in this life.

 

[Strat-Slinger]

RIP @heltershelton

 

[s5tuart]

RIP Kelly

 

[Kristallica]

I didn't see it posted anywhere here, but for whoever wants to know, @heltershelton passed away the other day. I know he was on here frequently, told me a lot about it. Just made this username to pass that message along. Feel free to get in touch with me if you'd like to know anymore.

Ian

EDIT 3. I want you all to know, I came here because Kelly said so much about you guys. With as much as he talked about it, I knew you all would want to know. I found out just how much he was loved, this thread is an amazing tribute. I’m sure he’d want you to know how much he felt about his relationships with all of you, he really cared. I wouldn’t have come here and told you if he didnt talk so much about you.

That said… I miss my friend. I don’t really know how much the family would want me to talk about things, but I thought you all should know. This is a guy I’m really going to miss a lot. This is a guy that believed in me when nobody else did. This guy was my brother, and I loved him like one.

EDIT: I got a ton of messages so I thought I’d just answer the more common asked questions here.

My name is Ian, Kelly has been my best friend and “brother from another mother” for 20 years. I found out about this yesterday morning. The most I know is that he was found by someone, and that it’s likely due to the heart problems he’s had his whole life. I don’t know details on service, etc, but would be happy to post it when I do have it.

Edit 2: I posted my own tribute yesterday.

Hi, Ian and all of Kelly's beautiful fans/brothers/sisters/friends/support team! On behalf of Kelly, Kelly's Mother, Kelly's Sister, and myself (was married to him/best friend/cyber defense ops in USAF) we ask that you please edit/remove any medical information that you have willfully divulged on this public domain. Not only would Kelly have not wanted to be remembered in that way, it is also a serious HIPAA violation and his medical privacy is still protected for 50 years.
Please continue to share your rememberance and love for Kelly, his humor, his personality, his strength, and his beautiful music!!! He LOVED showing off his strat challenges and often bragged about how talented all of you are! Peace and love
Love you forever too, Kell.

 

[CigBurn]

@Kristallica - Its a great pleasure to meet you, even if it is under these worst of circumstances. And thank you for visiting the guitar players old folks home known as strat talk. I'm sure everyone will understand the need for proper discretion with his info as you described. It should be noted that posts by individual members can only be edited within the first 24 hours. All that said, I wish you and all his family and loved ones peace and healing through all this.

@Lonn @jayoldschool and @Mansonienne (mods) may be able to help with that in whatever capacity they are able.

Regards,
Ron

 

[BTAudio]

@Kristallica

I’m not sure what the motive here is exactly, and I did not want to respond to this, but since you posted here….

Hippa violations only affect health care workers. I know because I used to be one and my wife currently is one. EVERYONE knew Kelly had his conditions. He made it known. I can show you text messages with him talking to me about them. There’s no violations done here whatsoever, and I’m pretty sure Kelly would be PISSED with you right now.

 

[tery]

Kelly did post publicly here for years about his medical issues, including his last operation.

 

[El Gobernador]

Hmmm. The search function will help shed light on all of this.

 

[CB91710]

Kelly did post publicly here for years about his medical issues, including his last operation.

+1
He was extremely open about his struggles, and persistence in his fight for life.
To wipe anything related from the forum would for one thing, be an insurmountable task for the admin, because it was hundreds/thousands of posts and replies.
But it would also eliminate much of what Kelly shared with his friends here, including images of his recovery from surgery.
Accomplishing this would simply not be possible without deleting nearly every thread Kelly started, as well as his posts and replies that may have quoted him.

 

[Kristallica]

Kelly did post publicly here for years about his medical issues, including his

+1
He was extremely open about his struggles, and persistence in his fight for life.
To wipe anything related from the forum would for one thing, be an insurmountable task for the admin, because it was hundreds/thousands of posts and replies.
But it would also eliminate much of what Kelly shared with his friends here, including images of his recovery from surgery.
Accomplishing this would simply not be possible without deleting nearly every thread Kelly started, as well as his posts and replies that may have quoted him.

@Kristallica

I’m not sure what the motive here is exactly, and I did not want to respond to this, but since you posted here….

Hippa violations only affect health care workers. I know because I used to be one and my wife currently is one. EVERYONE knew Kelly had his conditions. He made it known. I can show you text messages with him talking to me about them. There’s no violations done here whatsoever, and I’m pretty sure Kelly would be PISSED with you right now.

Basically, you dont have the right to post anything about his medical information. Nor request it. Kelly can share of course lol. Look, your post was on google when i was looking for more music by Kelly which means it was placed on the public domain.
By law I have rights but you do not. (He fell under HIPAA since he was married to me, and if nit that now then its NHS.) Now please stop being ugly, the family doesnt need this added stress. Just remove the parts that YOU have posted about his health and medical. Thank you.

 

[Mansonienne]

Hi, Ian and all of Kelly's beautiful fans/brothers/sisters/friends/support team! On behalf of Kelly, Kelly's Mother, Kelly's Sister, and myself (was married to him/best friend/cyber defense ops in USAF) we ask that you please edit/remove any medical information that you have willfully divulged on this public domain. Not only would Kelly have not wanted to be remembered in that way, it is also a serious HIPAA violation and his medical privacy is still protected for 50 years.
Please continue to share your rememberance and love for Kelly, his humor, his personality, his strength, and his beautiful music!!! He LOVED showing off his strat challenges and often bragged about how talented all of you are! Peace and love
Love you forever too, Kell.

I have removed references to specifics of his health issues in this particular thread, but, that's all I can do, I'm afraid. As has been pointed out, Kelly was very open about it all here.
I am so very sorry for your loss. This place won't be the same without him.

 

[guitarface]

never mind

 

[Robins]

Rest in Peace good man.
You will never be forgotten.

 

[Butcher of Strats]

I have removed references to specifics of his health issues in this particular thread, but, that's all I can do, I'm afraid. As has been pointed out, Kelly was very open about it all here.
I am so very sorry for your loss. This place won't be the same without him.

Thank you for taking on that task.

I did post a thread on the TDPRI where his friends didn’t all know of his passing, and mention that he had had one repeatedly mentioned long term heath problem, but only because if you say nothing, news of losing a friend gets swamped with guessing and speculating all sorts of health problems etc.

And I could imagine my wife reading people she doesn’t know talking about my medical stuff i told them, feeling violated.
Even if no harm, it’s a sensitive situation and we don’t need to talk medical here.

Hope this issue is solved and I will PM @Kristallica asking if she wants me to ask the mods there to remove the one reference.

 

[stevierayfan91]

I think I am going to leave the forum for awhile

 

[BTAudio]

That's cool. But I have my own website too, with my own rules. I will post what I want there. Kelly would have wanted it that way.

 

[CB91710]

I think I am going to leave the forum for awhile

Take the time you need my friend.

 

[CigBurn]

I think I am going to leave the forum for awhile

Some time for reflection is often healing. We'll be here when you feel like you miss us too much.

 

[AncientAx]

Take care Ben , come back when you are ready !