Kelly Family

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The Kelly Family is a band created by Daniel Jerome Kelly and his wife Barbara Ann Kelly and their children.

The family left the USA in 1966 to live in Spain. The family made their Spanish TV-debut under the name "Kelly Kids" in 1975. First they started singing for neighbours, friends, at small parties but soon they played gigs in pubs and large festivals. Their first number one single was "David's Song" in the 70's. Another Hit Single "Danny Boy" followed shortly afterwards. They started to tour all of Europe, particularly Germany, Spain, France and Italy, as street musicians. They were their own managers, producers and they helped to set up the stage and did the soundcheck on their own. They were live on the streets for a long long time. And as they were getting better and better and older more and more people came to see them.

They started to fill small and then bigger tents. But soon they had to realize that their success was growing each single day. At one time 10,000 people tried to enter a tent with the capacity for 2,000 people.

Finally the year 1994 is known as the year of their major breakthrough. Their Album "Over the Hump" was sold over 4.5 million times. It remains the biggest-selling album of all time in Germany. Kathy, John, Patricia, Jimmy, Joey, Barby, Paddy, Maite and Angelo were the band that dominated the European music scene. They gave a concert in Vienna in front of 250,000 people. They filled Europe's Stadiums on their own and played all the big halls. They were extremly successful in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, all of Eastern Europe, Portugal, Spain and other European countries, but became known all around the world including South Africa, Brazil, China and the United States.

They received most of the important music awards of Europe including the Echo, the Bambi, the Golden Camera, and were always top at most teenie votings.

In the 90's they had a number of number one Albums and Top 10 Albums including "Almost Heaven", "Growin' up", "From their hearts" and "Christmas for all".

Still at the top at the beginning of the year 2000, professional conflicts inside the band brought a change, and although the Kelly Family was always known as nine siblings only six of them remained together as a band. Right now there remain only 5 members of the Kelly Family together on stage.

John Kelly started a great project with his wife Spanish singer Maite Itoiz called "Tales from the Secret Forest".

Paddy Kelly decided to study philosophy/theology in a monastery, and is very happy with it, according to his siblings.

Kathy Kelly is also pursuing her own solo project.

Barby Kelly took her time off from showbiz.

Paul,Patricia, Jimmy, Joey, Maite and Angelo Kelly remain together as a band, while Angelo is also doing a solo project on his own.

[edit] The family

Daniel Jerome "Dan" Kelly (* 1931, † 2002)
Barbara Ann Kelly (*1946, † 1982)
Daniel "Danny" Kelly - not an active band member
Caroline Kelly - not an active band member
Paul Kelly - is on tour with his siblings for the first time since the early 80's.
Kathleen Anne "Kathy" Kelly (* 6th March, 1963) - instruments: keyboards, accordion, acoustic guitar, organ, violin - currently not an active member of the band, but started a solo career
John Michael Kelly (* 8th March, 1967) - instruments: acoustic and electric guitar, drums, percussions, congas - currently not active in the band; has started a new musical project called "Tales from the Secret Forest" with his wife, the successful Spanish soprano singer Maite Itoiz
Maria Patricia Kelly (* 25th November, 1969) - instruments: acoustic guitar, harp, keyboard, percussion, Sample Effex
James Victor "Jimmy" Kelly (* 18th February, 1971) - instruments: guitar, bass-guitar, congas, percussion, cittern, Jembe
Joseph Maria "Joey" Kelly (* 20th December, 1972) - instruments: acoustic and electric guitar, percussion
Barbara Ann "Barby" Kelly (* 28th April, 1975) - instruments: congas, percussion - currently not an active member of the band
Michael Patrick "Paddy" Kelly (* 5th December, 1977) - instruments: guitars, bass-guitar, keyboards, accordion, piano, drums - currently not an active member of the band, released a solo album, currently studies theology in a French monastery
Maite Star Kelly (* 4th December, 1979) - instruments: bass-guitar, percussion - currently only partly an active member of the band. Works on the "Togo-project".
Angelo Gabriel Kelly (* 23th December, 1981) - instruments: drums, percussion, bass-guitar, Sample Effex, timbales

[edit] Discography

Christmas All Year (1981, Kel-Life)
Wonderful World (1981, Kel-Life)
Live (1988, Kel-Life)
Keep On Singing (1989, Kel-Life)
New World (1990, Kel-Life)
Honest Workers (1991, Kel-Life)
Street Life (1992, Kel-Life)
The Very Best Over 10 Years (1993, Kel-Life)
Wow (1993, Kel-Life)
Over The Hump (1994, Kel-Life)
Christmas For All (1994, Kel-Life / EMI)
Almost Heaven (1996, Kel-Life / EMI)
Growin' Up (1997, Kel-Life / EMI)
Live Live Live (1998, Kel-Life)
From Their Hearts (1998, Kel-Life / EMI)
Kathy Kelly - The Best Of Kathy Kelly (1999, Kel-Life)
The Bonus-Tracks Album (1999, Kel-Life)
Best Of The Kelly Family (1999, Kel-Life / BMG Ariola)
Best Of The Kelly Family 2 (1999, Kel-Life / BMG Ariola)
Kathy Kelly - Morning Of My Life (2001, ePark / Zomba)
La Patata (2002, Kel-Life / Polydor / Universal)
Kathy Kelly - Straight From My Heart (2002, Copas)
Paddy Kelly - In Exile (2003, Polydor / Universal)
Homerun (2004, Kel-Life / Polydor / Universal)
Kathy Kelly - Godspel (2005)
Hope (2005, Kel-Life)
James Kelly - Babylon (2005, Kel-Life)
John Kelly & Maite Itoiz - Tales from the Secret Forest (2006, Value Entertainment, rough trade)
Angelo Kelly - I`m ready (2006)