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John McElrath Obituary
John was born in Greenwood County and grew up in historic Ninety Six, South Carolina. He was a son of the late Grady Paul McElrath and Cecil Ouzts McElrath. His wife, Jayne Buchan McElrath and his brother, Stanley Robert McElrath, preceded him in death.
Surviving are two sons, John Grady "Shawn" McElrath II, and Shane Buchan McElrath, both of Greenwood; two grandchildren, Elam Kathleen Jayne McElrath and Shane Buchan McElrath, Jr. and two nieces, Tara McElrath Smith and Julie McElrath Maldonado.
John was a graduate of Ninety Six High School and Lander College. In high school, he played all sports and music on the side. In 1962, he and friends formed a band that played shows for colleges across the Southeast. He became a huge Georgia Bulldog fan. In 1966, John took the group to Arthur Smith's Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina to record "Double Shot (of My Baby's Love)". The song became a nationwide hit and has been a party classic for music lovers for decades. " I Want to Be Your Guy", "She Drives Me Out Of My Mind" and "Hey, Hey, Baby" were other hits, but "Double Shot" remains the signature song of John's band, the Swingin' Medallions.
John was the former youth director for the Greenwood YMCA, where he coached and mentored numerous kids over the years. He was a coach and inspiration to many athletes and musicians in the Emerald City. In 2008, Governor Mark Sanford awarded him with The Order of the Palmetto.
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at The James Medford Family Event Center on the Piedmont Technical College Campus with the Rev. Eldredge Kelley officiating.
Honorary escort will be the former and present Swingin' Medallions band members and staff.
The family will receive friends before the service at the Medford Center from 4:00 - 6:45 p.m.
Donations can be made to the John and Jayne McElrath Scholarship Fund through the Lander Foundation, 320 Stanley Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to the charity of your choice.
Harley Funeral Home and Crematory (www.harleyfuneralhome.com) is in charge of arrangements.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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Funeral services provided by:
Harley Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc.1025 South Main St. P.O. Box 777, Greenwood, SC 29648
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