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 extremely 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".

The history of the Kelly Family must be one of the most unusual band biographies there is. Back in 1966, dancer Barbara Ann and her husband Daniel Jerome Kelly leave the USA with the four children Danny, Caroline, Paul and Kathy and settle in southern Spain. Inspired by the ancient traditions of their new homeland, the children begin singing and dancing to folk music with their parents. Because they enjoy making music, they start appearing at birthday parties, weddings and local fiestas. Dan Kelly, whose work as an antiques dealer in Toledo makes him the family breadwinner from 1966 to 1972, gives up the business and starts singing with his children.

In 1973 the family moves to Pamplona and for a year, runs the artists' tavern "La Viana" there. Mother Barbara gives the children ballet lessons at home, and they take music lessons in the city of Talavera de la Reina. Under the name of the "Kelly Kids", the family make their Spanish television debut in 1975 and go on tour through Spain.

Their first trip to Italy in 1976 unexpectedly turns into the start of an extended tour of Europe. While Dan Kelly is showing his children the city of Rome, the Kellys' minibus is looted, leaving only their instruments and passports. Seriously short of money now, the family starts singing on the street. Passers-by stop in amazement, and the collecting-basket keeps filling up with money. At the end of the first day, Dan tells his children: "Kids, our life has changed!" They go on from Italy to Austria, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. 1977 sees the Kellys in Germany, where they are discovered as street musicians, and not long after that, they sign their first record contract.

They get their first Number 1 hit in Holland and Belgium in 1980 with "Who'll Come With Me (David's Song)" (and make 40 TV appearances), and in Germany, the single climbs to No. 15. Their English double-decker of those days, with its trademark logo "The Kelly Family", is a familiar sight.

The Kelly children's mother contracts breast cancer in 1981. The family returns to Pamplona, Spain. A year later, when mother Barbara Ann dies, it seems as if the dream that began so promisingly has come to an abrupt end. The Kellys take her last wish, "Keep on singing", as a promise to be fulfilled.

1983 sees the family return to Paris, and in 1986 they tour the streets of 20 US cities, finally coming back to Germany in 1988. They found their own record company, "KEL-Life", and settle down for a while: the houseboat "Sean O'Kelley", which they buy in Amsterdam in 1989, becomes their new permanent home. A new blow befalls the family in 1990: Father Dan has a stroke, is paralysed down his right side and is bedridden. The Kelly children go on tour alone for the first time. Thanks to his iron discipline, their father gets back on his feet, and for the first time since his illness, he appears with his kids in 1994 in front of 16,000 people on the stage of the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund.

The 1993 album "Wow" marks the start of a new era. Streets and tents have grown too small for the successful musical family. Their album "Over the Hump" seals their success in 1994 and brings the final breakthrough. The disc sells more than 4.5 million copies in Europe. The Kellys appear on almost all the popular TV shows. Their own TV specials are watched by an audience of millions. By 1995, the Kellys have won all the big viewers' and listeners' prizes: Bambi, Goldener Löwe, Golden BRAVO-Otto, Golden Europa, 2 Viva Comets and the German Video Prize. It's soon raining platinum and gold for their albums and singles. The family fills all Europe's football stadiums and makes its biggest live appearance in Vienna before an audience of 250,000.

The Kelly Family success continues with the album "Almost Heaven" (1996). After moving to their new home of Eastgrove in southern Ireland, they pass another milestone with "Growin' Up" (1997). The family return to Germany in September 1998 and make their principal residence Schloss Gymnich (the former guest house for state visitors to Germany). The family go back on tour with their album "From Their Hearts" (1998). They mark their 25th anniversary with two Best Of albums (1999). Meanwhile, the Kellys are known on other continents, in countries such as China, South Africa and the USA.

With a total of over 15 million albums sold and over 2 million videos to their credit, the Kelly Family can look back after 27 years of band history on a thoroughly successful career. The album "Over the Hump", with which the Kelly Family made their definitive international breakthrough, has sold 3.5 million copies in Germany alone, making it Germany's all-time best-seller. Worldwide, the singing family have collected a stack of gold awards and 48 platinum discs to date.

In the spring of 2001 Angelo, Maite, Paddy, Barby, Joey, Jimmy und Patricia went into studio in the south of France and recorded their 15th studio album "La Patata" (named after one of the Kellys favoured restaurant), which was released on the 8th of April 2002. They also performed over 80 concerts throughout the whole of europe.

Due to the decreased health from his operation before Christmas (2001) Daniel Jerome Kelly peacefully passed away at the age of 71 on the 5th of August 2002 surrounded by his family at home. Shortly after his burial in Ireland and the memorial ceremony for the public, the Kellys completed their schedule appearances and continued touring.

In the year 2003 the band performed a minimum of 40 concerts across europe and started to make a new album called Homerun,the album came out the summer 2004.

The last years :

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.

Their older brother Paul came back to the grup and is now a regular member.

Paul, Patricia, Jimmy, Joey, Maite and Angelo Kelly remain together as a band, while Angelo and Jimmy are also doing a solo project on their 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 (* 23rd 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)