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Dates Appearing: July 31 - August 8 Current Release: Fading Fast Home: Army brat but now I live in Austin, TX Pets's Name: Baby, Francis, OJ (no relation), and Twist (all cats) Favourite Tour Pastime: Junk shops, reading Favourite album: Walter Hyatt's King Tears Favourite Movie: Plague Dogs Favourite Colour: Red |
Originally from Oklahoma, the youngest of three children, Kelly Willis grew up mostly in Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. She has mentioned in interviews that her mother was involved in musicals when Kelly was a child and that could have been the starting point for her own interest in singing.That interest turned into something more substantial when in high school she went to the beach, got into one of those pay recording booths, and belted out "Teddy Bear" a song made famous by Elvis Presley. Demo tape in hand she managed to get into her boyfriend's rockabilly band. With influences ranging from Patsy Cline, Wanda Jackson, the Blasters, the Tail Gators and the Leroi Brothers, Kelly and the Fireballs were a band whose popularity around the D.C. area was rising fast when in the late '80's , they decided to move to Austin, Texas.
It did not take long for Kelly to get noticed in Austin, One night while playing the Continental Club, Nanci Griffith wandered in near the end of the set. After hearing Kelly sing, Griffith headed for the phone and dialed MCA producer Tony Brown, who had signed Griffith as well as Lyle Lovett and Steve Earle. A few months later, a record deal was done and work on her debut album "Well Travelled Love" began.
Kelly released three albums for MCA and was signed to A&M Records until leaving the label in January 1997 . She has taken the last three years and used them to write songs and take control of her career. Her first release since 1993, a 4 song EP called "Fading Fast" released on A&M Records in 1996, gives her fans a good indication of where Kelly's heading musically.
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