Born into a pious family in Georgia, Ryan Shaw was first acquainted to music through gospel-singing in church, at the age of three. Only much later was he introduced to soul, old R&B, and rock. In 2007, after a variety of musical comedy performances, plus a stint with the Fabulous Soul Shackers, the singer released his first CD, This is Ryan Shaw, which is a mix of the artist's own compositions and classics by Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson and Bobby Womack.