Kathy Kelly (musician): Difference between revisions

Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly
	Kelly in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Kathleen Anne Kelly
Born	6 March 1963 (age 61)
Genres	pop; folk; rock;
Occupations	singer-songwriter; producer;
Website	www.kathyannekelly.com

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 22:04, 3 November 2024

Kathleen Ann Kelly (born March 6, 1963)^[1] is a singer, songwriter, and producer. Born in Leominster, Massachusetts, she is the third child of The Kelly Family, a multi-generational pop group that achieved success in Europe in the 1990s.

In 1999, Kelly released her first solo album, The Best of Kathy Kelly, which included her best songs from The Kelly Family albums as well as five new songs. While continuing to record and tour with the group throughout the 2000s, Kelly pursued her solo projects, resulting in three additional LPs and several singles to date. Some of these works featured new versions of traditional songs from around the world, previously performed by the group since the 1970s; notable songs include "Amazing Grace," "Motherless Child," "Old Black Joe," and "The Rose of Tralee".

Early years

Kathy was born in the United States in 1961. She is the third of five children born to Daniel Kelly Sr. and Joanne.

Kathy was homeschooled, as were her older and younger siblings. She also learned ballet and began playing the violin. Later, she became a teacher to her younger siblings. Kathy can also play the guitar, accordion, keyboards, and piano, among other instruments.

The Kelly Family

In 1974, Kathy, Caroline, Paul, John, and Patricia formed The Kelly Kids to perform at children's parties and on the streets. The band later became known as The Kelly Family when Dan and Barbara joined, followed by other siblings.

The Kelly Family gained popularity in their early years as a street band. Kathy typically played the violin alongside Paul, but after Caroline left, she began playing the accordion more frequently. Kathy was also the primary arranger of most of the group's songs and was the first of her siblings to write an original song. She is credited with writing Lonely, a song recorded in 1981 featuring lead vocals by John, the then-main vocalist, and Papa Dan. Kathy was also one of the main producers, recording most of the family’s albums from the 1980s through the late 1990s.

The year 1994 marked a major breakthrough for the Kelly Family, as they began selling CDs in stores. Their album Over the Hump sold 5 million copies. This success was followed by albums such as Christmas for All, Almost Heaven, Growin' Up, and From Their Hearts. In From Their Hearts, Kathy’s son Sean is featured on vocals in the track "Dance to the Rock 'n Roll."

In 2000, Kathy left the band to pursue a solo career. Her last song with the group was By Myself but Not Alone, sung with her brother John in 1999.

Kathy later returned to tour with the band from 2007 to 2008.

She also participated in Paddy Kelly's Stille Nacht Tour in 2011, performing alongside Paul, Patricia, Joey Kelly, Michael Patrick Kelly, and guest Caroline Kelly. Recordings from this tour were released as a live album titled Stille Nacht Live-CD 2011.

Kathy joined the 2012 tour, Stille Nacht 2012, and a live CD from this tour was released in September 2013.

In 2017, the Kelly Family reunited with seven members, and Kathy once again rejoined the band. The Kelly Family released an album titled We Got Love, on which Kathy performs six songs.

Throughout her career with the Kelly Family, Kathy contributed to 32 of their 35 albums and provided vocals on 106 songs, including live CDs, a total exceeded only by Paddy and John.

Solo career

Kathy Kelly began her solo career by releasing a single titled You're Losing Me, which reached number 94 on the German charts. She followed this with a compilation album, The Best of Kathy Kelly, which included some Kelly Family songs along with five new tracks. This album peaked at number 32 on the German chart and number 44 on the Dutch chart.

After leaving the Kelly Family in 2000, Kathy released another album, Morning of My Life, featuring entirely new material. It reached number 22 on the German charts.

In 2002, Kathy released her third studio album, Straight from My Heart. In 2005, she released her fourth album, Godspel, which includes several songs featuring Jimmy Kelly.

Kathy also embarked on the Godspel Tour from 2009 to mid-2012, performing primarily in Germany, as well as in Romania, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.

In September 2012, she launched another European tour, performing in Germany and Romania.

In 2014, Kathy released a holiday album, My Christmas Songs, followed in 2015 by The First. During this period, she performed mainly at festivals and occasional concerts. That same year, she toured with her siblings Paul and Patricia.

On December 31, 2015, and January 2, 2016, Kathy gave her first concerts in Bethlehem.

Toward the end of 2016, she began the Celtic Scottish Christmas Tour with her younger brother Paul.

In 2017, in addition to the Kelly Family comeback, Kathy continued her European tour throughout the year, with one show featuring her brother John Kelly.

Discography

For the recordings together with The Kelly Family, see The Kelly Family discography.

Albums

The Best of Kathy Kelly (1999)
Morning of My Life (2000)
Straight from My Heart (2002)
Godspel (2005)
My Christmas Songs (2014)
The First (2015)
Wer lacht überlebt (2019) – German album

Singles

"You're Losing Me" (1999)
"Save Me in the Morning" (2001)
"Nay No Nay" (2001)
"My Last Goodbye" (2009)
"Engelsmensch (Angel Love)" featuring Michael Kraft (2010)
"You Sleep with Angels" (2012)

References

^ "Bio Kelly Family".

External links

Official website of Kathy Kelly

[1] "Bio Kelly Family".

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|American singer}}
 {{Multiple issues|
-{{BLP sources|date=April 2020}}{{Overly detailed|date=April 2020}}
+{{BLP sources|date=April 2020}} {{Overly detailed|date=April 2020}}
 }}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
@@ Line 8: / Line 10: @@
 | caption         = Kelly in 2010
 | birth_name      = Kathleen Anne Kelly
 | alias           =
 | birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1963|3|6|df=y}}
 | origin          =
 | occupation      = {{hlist|singer-songwriter|producer}}
 | label           =
 | genre           = {{flatlist|
-*[[Pop music|pop]]
+* [[Pop music|pop]]
-*[[folk music|folk]]
+* [[folk music|folk]]
-*[[rock music|rock]]
+* [[rock music|rock]]
 }}
 | associated_acts = [[The Kelly Family]]
-| website         = {{URL|http://kathykelly.de/ }}
+| website         = {{URL|https://www.kathyannekelly.com}}
 }}
-'''Kathleen Ann Kelly''' (born 6 March 1963)<ref>https://alwaystkf.weebly.com/bio-kathy.html</ref> is a singer, songwriter, and producer. Born in [[Leominster, Massachusetts|Leominster]], [[Massachusetts]], USA, she is the third child of the musical family group [[The Kelly Family]],  a multi-generational pop group that achieved success in Europe in the 1990s.
+'''Kathleen Ann Kelly''' (born March 6, 1963)<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.kellyfamilysite.de/biographie/biographie.html |title = Bio Kelly Family}}</ref> is a singer, songwriter, and producer. Born in [[Leominster, Massachusetts|Leominster]], [[Massachusetts]], she is the third child of [[The Kelly Family]], a multi-generational pop group that achieved success in Europe in the 1990s.
-In 1999, Kathy released her first solo album titled ''The Best Of Kathy Kelly'' which, in addition to her best songs from the albums of The Kelly Family (''see'' [[The Kelly Family discography]]), contained five new songs. While still recording and touring with the group throughout the 2000s, Kathy worked on her solo projects, which resulted in three more LPs up to date and a number of singles. Some of the songs included were new versions of the traditional songs from all over the world previously sung by the group from as early as the 1970s; notably "[[Amazing Grace]]", "[[Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child|Motherless child]]", "[[Old Black Joe]]", "[[The Rose of Tralee (song)|The Rose of Tralee]]".
+In 1999, Kelly released her first solo album, ''The Best of Kathy Kelly'', which included her best songs from [[The Kelly Family discography|The Kelly Family albums]] as well as five new songs. While continuing to record and tour with the group throughout the 2000s, Kelly pursued her solo projects, resulting in three additional LPs and several singles to date. Some of these works featured new versions of traditional songs from around the world, previously performed by the group since the 1970s; notable songs include "[[Amazing Grace]]," "[[Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child|Motherless Child]]," "[[Old Black Joe]]," and "[[The Rose of Tralee (song)|The Rose of Tralee]]".
-==Biography==
+==Early years==
+Kathy was born in the United States in 1961. She is the third of five children born to Daniel Kelly Sr. and Joanne.
-===Early Years===
-Kathy is born in the US, on 1963. She is the third of four children born from the marriage of Daniel Kelly, Sr. and Joanne.
+Kathy was homeschooled, as were her older and younger siblings. She also learned [[ballet]] and began playing the [[violin]]. Later, she became a teacher to her younger siblings. Kathy can also play the [[guitar]], [[accordion]], [[keyboard (instrument)|keyboards]], and [[piano]], among other instruments.
-In 1965, her father and sister Caroline left the US to find a home in Europe. Papa Dan bought a home in Spain, close the city of Gamonal. Joanne and the other three children reunited with Dan and Caroline after some months.
+==The Kelly Family==
-In 1969, Dan divorced Joanne and married Barbara-Ann Suokko in 1970 in New York. Joanne returned to the US and apparently lost contact with Kathy. Barbara and Dan gave birth to eight other children.
+In 1974, Kathy, Caroline, Paul, John, and Patricia formed ''The Kelly Kids'' to perform at children's parties and on the streets. The band later became known as ''The Kelly Family'' when Dan and Barbara joined, followed by other siblings.
+The [[Kelly Family]] gained popularity in their early years as a street band. Kathy typically played the violin alongside Paul, but after Caroline left, she began playing the accordion more frequently. Kathy was also the primary arranger of most of the group's songs and was the first of her siblings to write an original song. She is credited with writing ''Lonely,'' a song recorded in 1981 featuring lead vocals by John, the then-main vocalist, and Papa Dan. Kathy was also one of the main producers, recording most of the family’s albums from the 1980s through the late 1990s.
-Kathy was homeschooled, just like her elder and younger siblings, by Dan, Barbara and uncle Jim. She also learned [[ballet]] and to play the [[violin]]. Later, she was also the teacher of her younger siblings. Kathleen can also play the [[guitar]], [[accordion]], [[keyboard (instrument)|keyboards]], [[piano]] among others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://alwaystkf.weebly.com/bio-kathy.html|title=Bio Kathy|website=Always the Kelly Family}}</ref>
+The year 1994 marked a major breakthrough for the Kelly Family, as they began selling CDs in stores. Their album ''[[Over the Hump]]'' sold 5 million copies. This success was followed by albums such as ''[[Christmas for All]]'', ''[[Almost Heaven]]'', ''[[Growin' Up (The Kelly Family album)|Growin' Up]]'', and ''[[From Their Hearts]]''. In ''From Their Hearts'', Kathy’s son Sean is featured on vocals in the track "Dance to the Rock 'n Roll."
-===The Kelly Family===
-<small> For more information, see: [[The Kelly Family]] </small>
+In 2000, Kathy left the band to pursue a solo career. Her last song with the group was ''By Myself but Not Alone,'' sung with her brother John in 1999.
-In 1974, Kathy, Caroline, Paul, John and Patricia formed ''The Kelly Kids'', to play at children's parties or in the streets. The band was later called ''The Kelly Family'', as Dan and Barbara also joined, later followed by Kathy's siblings.
+Kathy later returned to tour with the band from 2007 to 2008.
-The Kelly Family became very popular in their early years as a street band. Kathy usually played the violin along with Paul, but when Caroline left, she started to play the accordion more frequently. Kathy was also the one who arranged most of the songs and she was the first of the siblings to write a song, as she is credited as the writer of ''Lonely'', a song recorded in 1981 which features lead vocals from then-main vocalist John, and Papa Dan. She was also one of the main producers and has recorded most of the albums from the '80s until the late '90s.
+She also participated in Paddy Kelly's Stille Nacht Tour in 2011, performing alongside Paul, [[Patricia Kelly|Patricia]], [[Joey Kelly]], [[Michael Patrick Kelly]], and guest Caroline Kelly. Recordings from this tour were released as a live album titled ''Stille Nacht Live-CD 2011''.
-As Danny, Caroline and Paul left after Barbara's death, in the early-to-mid '80s, Kathy remained with the family helping her father to raise the younger children.
+Kathy joined the 2012 tour, ''Stille Nacht 2012'', and a live CD from this tour was released in September 2013.
-In 1983, the family moved to France. There Kathy met her future husband Vincent van Hille. They married in 1990, and gave birth to Sean Jerome van Hille in 1992, but eventually divorced in 2001. Sean is named after Sean O'Kelley, the Kellys' ancestor.
+In 2017, the Kelly Family reunited with seven members, and Kathy once again rejoined the band. The Kelly Family released an album titled [[We Got Love (album)|We Got Love]], on which Kathy performs six songs.
-In 1990 Daniel Kelly suffered a stroke which partially paralyzed him and left him bedridden. Though Dan remained fairly active in the 1990s, Kathy became the head of the group.
+Throughout her career with the Kelly Family, Kathy contributed to 32 of their 35 albums and provided vocals on 106 songs, including live CDs, a total exceeded only by Paddy and John.
-was the year of the breakout for the Kelly Family, after the Kellys started to sell CDs on shops. Their CD [[Over the Hump]] sold 5 million copies. This was followed up by [[Christmas for All]], [[Almost Heaven]], [[Growin' Up]] and [[From their Hearts]]. In the latter, Kathy's son, Sean, is also present doing vocals on "Dance to the Rock 'n Roll".
+==Solo career==
-In 2000, Kathy Kelly officially left the band to pursue a solo career. Her last song sung for the band was ''By Myself but Not Alone'' with her brother John in 1999.
+Kathy Kelly began her solo career by releasing a single titled ''You're Losing Me,'' which reached number 94 on the German charts. She followed this with a compilation album, ''The Best of Kathy Kelly,'' which included some Kelly Family songs along with five new tracks. This album peaked at number 32 on the German chart and number 44 on the Dutch chart.
+After leaving the Kelly Family in 2000, Kathy released another album, ''Morning of My Life,'' featuring entirely new material. It reached number 22 on the German charts.
-She is part of some of the band's most famous songs, for example: ''Peces en el Rio'' (1977, 1979, 1994), [[Amazing Grace]] (1981, 1990), ''Hiroshima, I'm Sorry'' (1985, 1988), ''When the Last Tree...'' (1993), ''Ares Qui'' (1994), ''Quisiera ser un Ángel'' (1995), ''Come Back to Me'' (1996), ''You're Losing Me'' (1998) and ''Children of Kosovo'' (1999).
+In 2002, Kathy released her third studio album, ''Straight from My Heart.'' In 2005, she released her fourth album, ''Godspel,'' which includes several songs featuring Jimmy Kelly.
-She later returned to tour with the band from 2007 to 2008.
+Kathy also embarked on the ''Godspel Tour'' from 2009 to mid-2012, performing primarily in Germany, as well as in Romania, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.
-She also participated at Paddy Kelly's Stille Nacht Tour, along with Paul, [[Patricia Kelly|Patricia]], [[Joey Kelly]], [[Michael Patrick Kelly]] and guest Caroline Kelly in 2011. Recordings of the concerts were taken and released in a live CD called ''Stille Nacht Live-CD 2011''.
+In September 2012, she launched another European tour, performing in Germany and Romania.
-She also took part in the 2012 tour, called ''Stille Nacht 2012'', and another live CD was released from the tour in September 2013.
+In 2014, Kathy released a holiday album, ''My Christmas Songs,'' followed in 2015 by ''The First.'' During this period, she performed mainly at festivals and occasional concerts. That same year, she toured with her siblings Paul and Patricia.
-In 2017, the Kelly Family reunited with seven members, and once again Kathy was part of the band. The Kelly Family released an album called [[We Got Love (album)|We Got Love]], on which Kathy sings six songs.
+On December 31, 2015, and January 2, 2016, Kathy gave her first concerts in [[Bethlehem]].
-Overall, Kathy contributed to 32 out of 35 Kelly Family's albums and she provided vocals for 106 songs (including live CDs), only surpassed by Paddy and John.
+Toward the end of 2016, she began the ''Celtic Scottish Christmas Tour'' with her younger brother Paul.
-===Solo career===
-Kathy Kelly started her solo career by releasing a single called ''You're Losing Me'' that reached number 94 in the German charts. Soon, a compilation album called ''The Best of Kathy Kelly'', which included some of the best Kelly Family songs and five new songs followed. It peaked at number 32 on the German chart and number 44 on the Dutch chart.
-After leaving the Kelly Family in 2000, Kathy released another album, ''Morning of My Life'', this time with whole new material. It peaked at number 22 of the German charts.
+In 2017, in addition to the Kelly Family comeback, Kathy continued her European tour throughout the year, with one show featuring her brother John Kelly.
-In 2002, Kathy released her third studio album, ''Straight From my Heart''. In 2005, Kathy released her fourth album, called ''Godspel'', which also features some songs with Jimmy Kelly.
-Kathy also started a tour called Godspel Tour from 2009 to mid 2012 mainly in Germany, but also in Romania, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://alwaystkf.weebly.com/kathy-kelly.html|title=Kathy Kelly - tourdates|website=~ ALWAYS THE KELLY FAMILY ~|access-date=8 September 2017}}</ref>
-On September 2012, Kelly started a European tour through Germany and Romania.
-In 2014, Kathy released a holiday album called ''My Christmas Songs'' and in 2015 an album called ''The First''. Through this time she performed mainly at festivals and sporadic concerts. That year she did a tour with her siblings Paul and Patricia.
-On 31 December 2015 and 2 January 2016, Kathy performed her first concerts in Bethlehem, Israel.
-At the end of 2016, Kathy started a tour called ''Celtic Scottish Christmas Tour'' with her younger brother Paul.
-In 2017, besides the Kelly Family comeback, Kathy continued her European Tour through the year, with one show also including her brother John Kelly.
 ==Discography==
-For the recordings together with [[The Kelly Family]] see [[The Kelly Family discography]].
+For the recordings together with [[The Kelly Family]], see [[The Kelly Family discography]].
 ===Albums===
-* ''The Best Of Kathy Kelly'' (1999)
+* ''The Best of Kathy Kelly'' (1999)
 * ''Morning of My Life'' (2000)
-* ''Straight From My Heart'' (2002)
+* ''Straight from My Heart'' (2002)
 * ''Godspel'' (2005)
 * ''My Christmas Songs'' (2014)
 * ''The First'' (2015)
-* ''Wer lacht überlebt'' (2019) - German album
+* ''Wer lacht überlebt'' (2019) – German album
 ===Singles===
@@ Line 105: / Line 92: @@
 ==References==
-<references />
+<references/>
 ==External links==
-* [http://www.kathykelly.de/ Official website of Kathy Kelly]
+* [https://www.kathyannekelly.com Official website of Kathy Kelly]
 {{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Kathy Ann}}
 [[Category:1961 births]]
 [[Category:Living people]]

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	Germany United States Czech Republic
Artists	MusicBrainz