Biography

Patricia Maria Kelly was born on the 25th of November 1969 in Gamonal, Spain.

As a singer, songwriter and manager in the legendary Kelly Family she achieved all the success one can wish for in this business: 48 golden and platinum records, stadiums with up to 280.000 enthusiastic fans, worldwide TV appearances and almost all the prizes and awards there are for musicians.
But her live was also determined by hard times and strokes of fate. Both sides define her work and turn her music into an authentic and personal experience. As a solo artist Patricia concentrates more than ever exclusively on following her musical instincts rather than commercial considerations. On the one hand this allows her to return to her roots in folk music, on the other hand she finds a new home in Jazz. But even these are but stations on a long musical journey which is still far from being complete.
After the first successes in Spain the family is drawn first to Italy, then to Austria, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. No day passes without joint singing and Patricia lives her childhood-dream. The “Kelly Kids“, as they are still called at their first appearance on TV, earn their living singing in the streets, and sign their first record contract already in 1977. Three years later they have their first Number One hit in Belgium and the Netherlands. Almost overnight the “Kelly Family“ becomes a phenomenon and in the following years they travel all over Europe, and later on to the US and back.
„We never attended conventional schools. We learned in the school of life.“ Patricia describes the unusual circumstances in which she grew up.
„We were influenced by the people we met in the streets, simple people who gave us money and food when times were hard. Clochards and prostitutes, princes and kings, priests and philosophers, artists and the old woman from next door- we learned from every single one of them.“

Already for some time Patricia had been the right hand of her father in the field of management. In 1992 she took over all international negotiations, was the contact person for the press and the media, and was in charge of marketing and the majority of the remaining management tasks.
In the years of their greatest success about 200 people worked for the Kellys and there was a lot to be done: all singles and albums were published by their own label Kel-Life.
„Our father never wanted to commit to the majors and predicted already back then that the structures of t he music industry would not survive forever.“ Dan Kelly thus ensured that the family to this day owns the copyrights of all titles and at the same time created a model that was later on implemented by many musicians. „One can actually put it this way: we were the first artists in Germany who owned an Independent-label .“ Patricia remarks with justified pride.

Solo-Project 1: Jazz

Currently all Kelly Family members go their own ways. An official break-up never happened though and new joint projects are not categorically ruled out. But already long before their last concerts together at the beginning of 2008, Patricia had thought about musical ways which she conceived as independent from any joint projects with her brothers and sisters. Her encounter with saxophonist Peter Materna laid the foundations for an initially open Jazz-project. However, it was less the genre itself which helped the idea to gather momentum, but most of all „the passion of the musicians for their music“.
Already in January 2008 Patricia started working on her Jazz-project. „The first thing I said to Peter (Materna) was: let’s not think commercially. It should only be about art.“, Patricia describes her approach back then- a risk with regard to the potential reaction of her fans of many years standing. The more astonishing was the fast acceptance of the unfamiliar tunes even by long-standing Kelly-fans. Patricia was amazed herself:“ At the first concerts only about one third of the audience found the music strange, the rest were immediately taken by it.“
Even if this was not the style Patricia was known for among the Kellys, soon a feeling of absolute authenticity set in. This wasn’t a cleverly devised marketing-stunt, but the individual, honestly felt expression of somebody for whom making music is an inseparable part of life.
„When I compose, it’s always either a feeling that gives the impulse, or a thought that keeps me occupied. I just listen to my inner voice.“ To start with a ready-made plan however is alien to Patricia. „When my daily tasks are done and the children are cared for, I sit down at the piano and just sing to myself. The music then comes in very naturally.“


Solo-Project 2: „Essential“

Since the time with her family was so significant, Patricia sometimes misses the joint work nowadays. „I’ve thought a lot about what life has given me in all those years and what a huge gift I received in the music I was privileged to make.“
A bit of sentimentality, but also great gratitude for the numerous memories that she still can draw from, lead to a second musical idea. Wouldn’t it be nice to travel together with her audi-ence into the past and visit all the many stations of her life with the music?
However this project seemed to be too personal for a big ensemble. „I wanted to return to where we all come from, back to the bonfire at which we sang after a long day songs until far into the night with my family, friends and neighbours.“ Patricia remembers. „I come from Folk, and I am proud of it. I love folk music.“ And so the musical journey through the old times should become as immediate and intimate as possible with just one accompanist on the gui-tar.
In „Essential“ Patricia sings in 6 languages traditionals from all countries that she travelled through with her family, Chansons, Belcanto, Flamenco and Country and of course here and there one or another Kelly-hit- all linked by stories and anecdotes from over 30 years of her musical journey. Singing along is explicitly permitted.
„In these concerts I am not the star, but one among many who share delight in singing with others.“- And by that she indeed returns to her roots.