Shelby Tweten


Shelby Tweten has been trying to use her story to help people since she was just a child. She aspired to be a psychologist when most kids wanted to be astronaunts or princesses. Shelby alway felt like talking about her struggles was easy so she never thought it could turn into more.

In the summer of 2009, at a spirtual event, she felt touched by God and had a higher voice tell her she needed to “sing to tell her story”. Fast forward exactly 2 years on season 11 of Amerian Idol, Shelby mentioned being bipolar to some fellow contestants. Little did she know it would turn her into an international story. Her audition was discussed on The View, MTV, Daily Mail, and many other large outlets.

She began to travel the country speaking on mental health awareness. She was on the cover of Bipolar Hope Magazine. She received the Didi Hirsch Erasing the Stigma Award and the Bipolar Association’s Inspire Award. She has spoken at events ranging from NAMI conventions to elementary schools. She started the Hope’s Melody scholarship with her mom Karrey Tweten which raises money for music therapy programs for youth struggling with mental illness and trauma.

Shelby’s main focus is to bring light to the darkness of mental illness and talk about the topic most people are afraid of. She is diagnosed Bipolar 1 along with Borderline Peronality Disorder with acute Sociopathetic tendancies.