‘They were interested in a Kentucky girl.’ Mary Shaftner reflects on performing at Thurby
Coming from a strong musical background, Mary Shaftner didn’t know her performances would look quite like they do today.
Her day job consists of performing as the lead singer of the band FreQuency, which plays out of the Louisville Area. Shaftner plays alongside her husband Trent, her son Logan and two other band members, who she praised for their talent.
Shaftner, of Simpsonville, started singing with her husband in the 90s under the name Tender Mercy — a traveling ministry duo.
“All of a sudden, the Lord used us to write about him and our experience in life. And so we wrote all original music,” Shaftner said.
She said their music got “worldwide airplay.”
“We just met some incredible people on the way. But we were also able to tell our story,” Shaftner added.
For the past eight years, the Shaftners have been performing as FreQuency, leading a worship service twice a month and forming an acoustic trio known as FreQuency+3.
While FreQuency is a large part of Shaftner’s daily life, she has become well-known around Kentucky for her take on the National Anthem.
The infatuation with performing the song, unbeknownst to her, started with a shopping trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Shaftner heard people singing the National Anthem while she was shopping and questioned what was happening. Upon approaching the noise, she learned it was people auditioning for the Lexington Legends National Anthem singer.
Her husband incessantly encouraged her to audition, but an addition to her musical career was not on the horizon. She was comfortable with her work within the ministry
“I got a letter a week later. ... It said, ‘You’ve been chosen as one of the National Anthem singers for the Legends.’ That’s how it started,” Shaftner said.
Shaftner has been singing the Nation Anthem for 16 years now, including with the Lexington Legends, the Louisville Bats, Rock Creek Horse Show, the Cincinnati Reds and, most notably, the Kentucky Derby.
Throughout the years of performing, she’s built a connection to the song and learned its origins. For Shaftner, the song provides insights into America’s rich history.
As she continued to sing the anthem, she began to pay more attention to the meaning behind the lyrics, learning the history of the stars and stripes.
“All night long, we fought and that flag was still standing, as shredded as it probably was, and all the people who died for it just means something to you,” Shaftner said.
Shaftner performed the anthem at “Thurby” a popular day of races leading up to the Kentucky Derby, //which celebrates Kentucky’s culture of bourbon, Bluegrass, and thoroughbred racing.
“They always have to have a star, someone that everybody knows to do the Oaks and the actual Derby, but for Thurby, I don’t know if it’s something new they started, but they were interested in a Kentucky girl,” Shaftner said.
Shaftner has been trying to get involved with the Kentucky Derby for the past five years, but she said she was “unable to reach the right person.”
Receiving a call from Churchill Downs left Shaftener shocked. In disbelief, she asked whether they had called the right person.
On the big day, a rush of emotions returned before her performance as a moment of panic set in.
“I literally couldn’t breathe for just a second, but the minute I walked up to that mic, it felt like home,” Shaftner said.
Shaftner remembers this experience fondly as she returned to Simpsonville — and FreQuency.
As the normalcy of her daily life set in, her work with FreQuency continued.
A resident for 17 years, Shaftner will return to Lexington with FreQuency on Friday, May 31, as they perform at The Cellar Bar & Grille from 8-11 p.m.
