Don ‘Mr. B.’ Brenton wins top musician honors in Best of the Best contest

Don Brenton is a man of many instruments, many songs, and many different experiences with music.
As part of the Record’s 2025 Reader’s Choice Best of the Best contest – where over 39,000 votes decided the community’s best in various categories – Brenton has won the Best Musician Category for the second time. The life-long musician, also known as “Mr. B,” was grateful for the recognition.
“It’s just humbling,” Brenton said. “It’s cool. Honest to goodness, there are people in town that are a whole lot better musicians than me.”
Brenton’s love of music started early. One of his fondest memories was singing old songs with his family during car rides to his grandparents’ house in Cuba. He joined Lebanon’s band program in fifth grade, his best friend taking the plunge with him. That started his more formal education.
Though the membership and staff at the band changed during Brenton’s high school days, Brenton’s passion did not diminish. One of his directors, Stanley Moore, was one of his most important musical mentors.
Brenton’s music did not stay in the classroom. He recalled many evenings where he played his drum set at home past curfew. His mother would flicker and then turn off the lights of the unfinished basement where he played. He got better at playing in the dark.
Brenton had planned to work at Branson’s airport while he attended College of the Ozarks, but breaking both his legs the summer he graduated high school forced him to change his plans. It was a painful time.
He later began college at East Central College, where he scoffed at classmates saying he would be a music teacher. Through his lessons and performances with mentors like choir director Jim Shamburger, that prediction slowly became reality.“Jabberwocky” was a memorable song from this time.
One of Brenton’s classes involved playing the piano for a jury of his peers. He played the piano poorly. The face of the professor watching him, though, said “Yes” in encouragement, which was a lesson that he carried with him into his career.

Brenton was Lebanon’s high school band director for ten years. During that time, he was also earning his master’s degree at Missouri State University, which was challenging. The day would find him in the classroom as a teacher, and the evenings would find him back in one as a student.
After the school district reassigned him to teach kindergarten and first grade music, Brenton shifted towards using sillier music in his classes. Sillier songs meant more enjoyment for the children with the bonus that they would pay closer attention.
As he runs into former students in town now, remembering their names from an over 40 year-career can be tough. When they ask him what their names are, though, he diverts them with, “Look, dude, if you don’t know your own name, I can’t help you.”
Nowadays, Brenton only teaches one day a week at Gasconade C4 School, but music finds other ways into his life. As he has for most of his life, he plays at his church. He plays for various events and groups. Brenton also plays with his other half, Sharon Brenton.
Counting her as a deep blessing, Brenton said the two will often team up to play. Sharon Brenton’s learned skills on the piano compliment Don Brenton’s formal training.
Sharon Brenton is also skilled at, her husband says, sensitive critique. They sing together at church and riff off one another at home out of a three-ring binder of songs.
Brenton is also teaching his grandchildren a love of music. His grandchildren have begun joining him when he and Sharon Brenton go to sing once a month at Cedarhurst Senior Living. He plans to have his grandchildren, some of whom play instruments and who all sing, on his YouTube channel.
“When I was your age, I wouldn’t have thought about grandkids. You don’t,” Brenton said. Fast forward to being in his sixties with grandchildren, he said, “It changes your whole life. It’s wild. It’s the best.”
Reflecting on music’s impact in his life, Brenton thought it had a unique power over people, for better and for worse. He hoped to channel that power for the better and honor God. One of the songs he is most fond of is “Jesus Loves Me.”
“Music does something to you that nothing else does,” Brenton said. “A song or a hymn takes you back to a moment in time or a special person, special place.”