The Kelly Family
Encyclopedia
The Kelly Family is an Irish-American-European music group consisting of a multi-generational family, who play a repertoire of rock
, pop
and folk music
. They have had chart and concert success in Europe
and other parts of the world, especially in Germany
, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia
, Eastern Europe
, Spain
and Portugal
. They have sold over 20 million albums since the early 1980s.
For many years, the group presented a gypsy image and a vagabonding
lifestyle, travelling around Europe in a double-decker bus
and houseboat
. Their image was enhanced by their eclectic and often homemade clothing, and the very long hair worn by both male and female members of the band. In recent years, they have presented a more mainstream
look.
, where Daniel opened an antiques shop. Kelly and Joanne separated, and Joanne returned to the US with Daniel Jr., who suffered from a disability. In 1970, Kelly married Barbara Ann Suokko. Daniel Kelly and Barbara had eight children, with the eldest, John, born in 1967, and the youngest, Angelo, in 1981. The children were homeschooled
and given lessons in music and dance.
In 1974, the older children, Caroline, Kathy and Paul, formed The Kelly Kids, at first busking
, then performing at parties and local events. They became well-known enough that they appeared on Spanish television in 1975. The band was joined by the younger members of the family as they matured and learned to play musical instruments. The band's popularity increased in Spain, with several performances on television and in circuses. In 1976, they went on tour as The Kelly Family, in Italy, Germany and Holland, followed by Ireland in 1977. Then, in 1978, they toured again, in their hallmark double-decker bus
. Daniel Kelly and Barbara joined the children for performances, Barbara often performing with a baby in her arms.
In 1977, they landed a record contract in Germany. Their first major chart hit came in 1980, with the song "Who'll Come With Me (David's Song)", with John Kelly, aged 12, singing solo. The song, with a Gaelic
melody by Vladimir Cosma
, was the theme to a German television production The Adventures of David Balfour, based on Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson
. The song hit number 1 in the Netherlands and Belgium
, and it reached the top 20 in Germany.
Barbara Kelly died of breast cancer
in 1982, shortly after the birth of the youngest child, Angelo. Her last words to her family were "Keep on singing!" The band continued to record, Daniel Kelly having formed his own recording company in 1980. As the older members of the family reached adulthood, Caroline and Paul left the band, Caroline to study nursing and Paul to become a chef. In 1990, Daniel Kelly suffered a stroke
, but he remained a leading figure in the group until his death in 2002.
The Kelly Family continued recording and performing, covering famous songs such as "We are the World
" and "The Rose
", but writing most of their own music based on family and personal experience, their Catholic
faith and their worldview. Songs include "Santa Maria"; "Why, Why, Why"; "Sometimes I Wish I was an Angel", the video of which popularised a younger family member, Paddy; the haunting "Mama", in which Barbara Kelly is mourned by her children; and "The Pee Pee Song", in which the common childhood problem of bedwetting
is celebrated by the raucous, flaxen haired baby-of-the-family, Angelo.
In the 1990s, the group enjoyed their biggest success. Their 1994 album Over the Hump sold more than 2.25 million copies in Germany alone, and 4.5 million copies throughout Europe. In 1995, to promote the album, they played a concert to a Vienna
audience of 250,000. In the same year they filled the Westfalenhalle
, Dortmund
, nine times in a row, a feat no other musician has since accomplished. In 1996 they headlined their first Stadium Tour, filling some of Europe's largest venues. They played in Beijing
, China
in front of 20,000 people. In 1998 they bought a castle, Schloss Gymnich, on the Rhine near Cologne
, Germany. About the same time, Adam Kelly, son of Papa Kelly’s younger brother Henry, started performing with his cousins in The Kelly Family. Success continued until they started to disagree on a professional basis at the beginning of the year 2000. In 2002 Papa Kelly died from yet another stroke. That same year the family competed in the German Euro song competition with the song "I wanna be loved" and placed fourth.
In 2002, Barby's ongoing illness forced her retirement from the band and, to the disappointment of his fans, Paddy cut his long hair and joined a religious order in France. Members of the family continue to perform as soloists or together, or in combination with their partners, as both Jimmy and John married singers. Fan interest prompted a comeback with gigs in Germany in 2007.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. They have had chart and concert success in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and other parts of the world, especially in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. They have sold over 20 million albums since the early 1980s.
For many years, the group presented a gypsy image and a vagabonding
Vagabond (person)
A vagabond is a drifter and an itinerant wanderer who roams wherever they please, following the whim of the moment. Vagabonds may lack residence, a job, and even citizenship....
lifestyle, travelling around Europe in a double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
and houseboat
Houseboat
A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a human dwelling. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities...
. Their image was enhanced by their eclectic and often homemade clothing, and the very long hair worn by both male and female members of the band. In recent years, they have presented a more mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
look.
Background
The group had its origins in May 1965, when Daniel Kelly Sr. and his first wife, Joanne, left their native United States, with their children Daniel Jr., Caroline, Catherine and Paul, and settled in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where Daniel opened an antiques shop. Kelly and Joanne separated, and Joanne returned to the US with Daniel Jr., who suffered from a disability. In 1970, Kelly married Barbara Ann Suokko. Daniel Kelly and Barbara had eight children, with the eldest, John, born in 1967, and the youngest, Angelo, in 1981. The children were homeschooled
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
and given lessons in music and dance.
In 1974, the older children, Caroline, Kathy and Paul, formed The Kelly Kids, at first busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
, then performing at parties and local events. They became well-known enough that they appeared on Spanish television in 1975. The band was joined by the younger members of the family as they matured and learned to play musical instruments. The band's popularity increased in Spain, with several performances on television and in circuses. In 1976, they went on tour as The Kelly Family, in Italy, Germany and Holland, followed by Ireland in 1977. Then, in 1978, they toured again, in their hallmark double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
. Daniel Kelly and Barbara joined the children for performances, Barbara often performing with a baby in her arms.
In 1977, they landed a record contract in Germany. Their first major chart hit came in 1980, with the song "Who'll Come With Me (David's Song)", with John Kelly, aged 12, singing solo. The song, with a Gaelic
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels", including language and culture. As a noun, it may refer to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually.-Gaelic languages:...
melody by Vladimir Cosma
Vladimir Cosma
Vladimir Cosma was born April 13, 1940 in Bucharest, Romania, into a family of musicians.His father, Teodor Cosma, was a pianist and conductor, his mother a writer-composer, his uncle, Edgar Cosma, composer and conductor, and one of his grandmothers, pianist, a student of the renowned Ferrucio...
, was the theme to a German television production The Adventures of David Balfour, based on Kidnapped
Kidnapped (novel)
Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Written as a "boys' novel" and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886, the novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis...
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
. The song hit number 1 in the Netherlands and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and it reached the top 20 in Germany.
Barbara Kelly died of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 1982, shortly after the birth of the youngest child, Angelo. Her last words to her family were "Keep on singing!" The band continued to record, Daniel Kelly having formed his own recording company in 1980. As the older members of the family reached adulthood, Caroline and Paul left the band, Caroline to study nursing and Paul to become a chef. In 1990, Daniel Kelly suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, but he remained a leading figure in the group until his death in 2002.
The Kelly Family continued recording and performing, covering famous songs such as "We are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
" and "The Rose
The Rose (song)
"The Rose" is a pop song written by Amanda McBroom and made famous by Bette Midler, who performed it in the 1979 movie, The Rose. Since then it has been covered by a variety of artists.-Bette Midler version:...
", but writing most of their own music based on family and personal experience, their Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
faith and their worldview. Songs include "Santa Maria"; "Why, Why, Why"; "Sometimes I Wish I was an Angel", the video of which popularised a younger family member, Paddy; the haunting "Mama", in which Barbara Kelly is mourned by her children; and "The Pee Pee Song", in which the common childhood problem of bedwetting
Bedwetting
Nocturnal enuresis, commonly called bedwetting, is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control usually occurs. Nocturnal enuresis is considered primary when a child has not yet had a prolonged period of being dry...
is celebrated by the raucous, flaxen haired baby-of-the-family, Angelo.
In the 1990s, the group enjoyed their biggest success. Their 1994 album Over the Hump sold more than 2.25 million copies in Germany alone, and 4.5 million copies throughout Europe. In 1995, to promote the album, they played a concert to a Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
audience of 250,000. In the same year they filled the Westfalenhalle
Westfalenhalle
Westfalenhallen are three multi-purpose venues, located in Dortmund, Germany. The original building was opened in 1925, but was destroyed during World War II. New halls were built, the Große Westfalenhalle opened in 1952. The capacity of the arena is 16,500...
, Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, nine times in a row, a feat no other musician has since accomplished. In 1996 they headlined their first Stadium Tour, filling some of Europe's largest venues. They played in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in front of 20,000 people. In 1998 they bought a castle, Schloss Gymnich, on the Rhine near Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany. About the same time, Adam Kelly, son of Papa Kelly’s younger brother Henry, started performing with his cousins in The Kelly Family. Success continued until they started to disagree on a professional basis at the beginning of the year 2000. In 2002 Papa Kelly died from yet another stroke. That same year the family competed in the German Euro song competition with the song "I wanna be loved" and placed fourth.
In 2002, Barby's ongoing illness forced her retirement from the band and, to the disappointment of his fans, Paddy cut his long hair and joined a religious order in France. Members of the family continue to perform as soloists or together, or in combination with their partners, as both Jimmy and John married singers. Fan interest prompted a comeback with gigs in Germany in 2007.
Members
| Name | Birth | Birthplaces | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Jerome ("Dan") | 11 October 1930 | Erie Erie, Pennsylvania Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000... , Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... , USA |
Father and leader of the Kelly Family. Died, 5 August 2002, Cologne, Germany |
| Barbara Ann | 2 June 1946 | "Mama" of the Kelly Family. Died, 10 November 1982, Belascoain, Spain | |
| Daniel ("Danny") | 1961 | USA | Performed with the Kelly Kids; lives in the USA, no children |
| Caroline | 1962 | USA | Performed with the Kelly Kids; works as a nurse in the USA, is married, no children |
| Kathleen Ann ("Kathy") | 6 March 1963 | Leominster Leominster, Massachusetts Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and west of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190,... , Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... , USA |
Tours with Kelly Family, gives solo concerts. Divorced with one son, Sean |
| Paul | 16 March 1964 | Leominster, Massachusetts, USA | One of Kelly Kids, rejoined Kelly Family. Married, six sons and a daughter |
| John Michael ("Johnny") | 8 March 1967 | Talavera de la Reina, Spain | Married to Maite (née Itoiz, b. 27 January 1975), no children |
| Maria Patricia ("Patricia") | 25 November 1969 | Gamonal Gamonal Gamonal is a little Spanish village, situated in the municipality of Talavera de la Reina .- Geography and Demography :... , Spain |
Married to Denis Sawinkin (b. 19 February 1973), two sons Alexander Joseph and Ignatius Aaron Maria |
| James Victor ("Jimmy") | 18 February 1971 | Gamonal, Spain | Married to Maike (née Höchst, b. 3 November 1980), two daughters Aimee Benedicta Maria and Máire Therese Seraphine |
| Joseph Maria ("Joey") | 20 December 1972 | Toledo Toledo - Places :Belize:*Toledo District*Toledo SettlementBrazil:*Pedro de Toledo, São Paulo*Toledo, ParanáColombia:*Toledo, Norte de SantanderPhilippines:*Toledo City, CebuSpain:*Toledo, Spain *Kingdom of Toledo... , Spain |
Married to Tanja (née Niethen, b. 25 January 1973), has two sons and a daughter; Luke Christopher, Leon Daniel and Lilian Ann |
| Barbara Ann ("Barby") | 28 April 1975 | Belascoain Belascoáin Belascoain is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*... , Spain |
Left the band in 2002, due to illness |
| Michael Patrick ("Paddy") | 5 December 1977 | Dublin, Ireland | Left band in early 2004, to study theology. He joined the Saint-John community where he was a monk, and had taken the name John Paul Mary. He recently quit the monastery and announced that he will be back into making music in 2011 |
| Maite Star | 4 December 1979 | West Berlin West Berlin West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945... , Federal Republic of Germany |
Married to Florent Raimond (b. 5 January 1975), has two daughters Agnes Therese Barbara and Josephine Katherine Francoise |
| Angelo Gabriele | 23 December 1981 | Pamplona Pamplona Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions... , Spain |
Married to Kira (née Harms, b. 7 October 1979), has two sons and two daughters: Gabriel Jerome, Helen Josephine and Emma Maria and Joseph Ewan Gregory Walter |