Born into a wealthy Louisville, Kentucky family with railroad interests, George Douglass Sherley inherited a substantial estate. He graduated from Centre College and studied law at the University of Virginia. Despite his millionaire status, he pursued a career in writing, starting as a journalist for the Louisville Courier-Journal in the 1870s. During the 1880s, he used his personal wealth to self-publish his poetry and short stories.
Sherley's early literary efforts received minimal public attention until 1893, when he partnered with the renowned poet James Whitcomb Riley for a nationwide reading tour. This collaboration helped Sherley gain recognition within the Western literary community. As part of Riley's touring show, Sherley performed alongside prominent contemporary figures, including Samuel Clemens.
After the tour concluded in 1895, Sherley returned to Kentucky, residing in both Louisville and Lexington. He continued to write poetry, short stories, and three novels. He also found success writing short story introductions for sheet music and other writers' publications. His most successful books, published by J.P. Morton & Company, included Love Perpetuated, A Few Short Sketches, and The Inner Sisterhood. He died in Martinsville, Indiana, in 1917.
