 Contact Kelly Willis |
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| Full Name: | Kelly Willis |
Kelly Willis Profile
Kelly Willis Pictures
Title: kelly willis.jpg
Description: Kelly Willis Picture
Title: willis 040 2.jpg
Description: ... Kelly Willis at Davey's Uptown.
Title: kelly willis big state festival 07 ...
Description: Kelly Willis, 12:30.
Title: kelly willis bio.jpg
Description: As Kelly Willis planned to go into ...
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Description: Kelly Willis Lyrics & Songs
Title: kelly willis.jpg
Description: Regular commenter Mike is rightly ...
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Description: Kelly Willis, www.rykodisc.com
&link=http://whenistopdreaming.com/images/willis.jpg&thumb=http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:XtIMP6NDRxy3sM:whenistopdreaming.com/images/willis.jpg&celebrity=Kelly Willis)
Title: willis.jpg
Description: Thank You Lord (for Kelly Willis)
Kelly Willis Videos
![video The video for Kellys latest single](../viewVideo.html?title=Kelly Willis "Teddy Boys"YouTube=YouTube&summary=The video for Kellys latest single "Teddy Boys", her cover of Adam Greens song.&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/t8ZHVfJy6sQ&fs=1&hl=en&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://0.gvt0.com/vi/t8ZHVfJy6sQ/default.jpg&celebrity=Kelly Willis&videoType=YouTube)
Title: Kelly Willis "Teddy Boys"
Description: The video for Kellys latest single "Teddy Boys", her cover of Adam Greens song.
Title: Rexs Blues Jay Farrar & Kelly Willis
Description: A video about the disappearing family farms in my area, and the resulting rural decay. Townes Van Zandt provides the words... Jay Farrar & Kelly ...
Title: Kelly Willis and Dwight Yoakam Take Me
Description: Duet of the George Jones and Tammy Wynette classic
Take me, take me to your darkest room
Close every window and bolt every door
The very ...
Title: BRUCE ROBISON and KELLY WILLIS Heavens Just A Sin Away
Description: from Scholz Beer Garten, Austin 8 08
Title: Kelly Willis Time Has Told Me
Description: Kelly Covers Nick Drake.
Time has told me
Youre a rare rare find
A troubled cure
For a troubled mind.
And time has told me
Not to ask ...
Title: Kelly Willis Presents
Description: Yallwire sits down with Kelly Willis in her studio to discuss her latest album, Translated From Love. In part one of this three part series, Kelly ...
![video Kelly Willis performing](../viewVideo.html?title=Kelly Willis Heavens Just a Sin Away, LiveYouTube=YouTube&summary=Kelly Willis performing "Heavens Just a Sin Away" live. From the Maintenance Shop, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. November 2, 05.&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/p207PDJErcE&fs=1&hl=en&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://1.gvt0.com/vi/p207PDJErcE/default.jpg&celebrity=Kelly Willis&videoType=YouTube)
Title: Kelly Willis Heavens Just a Sin Away, Live
Description: Kelly Willis performing "Heavens Just a Sin Away" live. From the Maintenance Shop, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. November 2, 05.
Title: Kelly Willis Not Forgotten You
Description: Live, 1999
Came home a little early last night shed not a tear when I turned out the light
No I dont hurt like I used to
Didnt wait ...
Kelly Willis News and Gossip
Az Journal - Found Jun. 30, 2009
Mayor Kelly Willis asked councilman Jason Whiting to comment because he has kept up on the issue.
Az Journal - Found Jun. 26, 2009
Snowflake Mayor Kelly Willis was on hand to present awards to the two men and said, ?Seventy-nine and 81, that?s an inspiration to...
Snowflake Pool Hours Noted - Az Journal
An Aquatic Life - Canon City Daily Record
Explore All
Canon City Daily RecordEMedia Wire - Found Jun. 16, 2009
Director and Senior Investigator, Gladstone Institute Ms. Carol Spahn, Executive Director, Ms. Kelly Willis, Senior Vice President, Program...
Az Journal - Found Jun. 18, 2009
Snowflake Mayor Kelly Willis said that as a council they haven?t talked about it much, although he acknowledged, ?It?s a very concerning...
Az Journal - Found Jun. 18, 2009
In response to a question posed by Mayor Kelly Willis, Solomon said that if you enter Snowflake or Taylor on an Internet search engine, the...
Az Journal - Found Jun. 18, 2009
?I have an opinion,? said Mayor Kelly Willis.
EMedia Wire - Found Jun. 18, 2009
... and Kelly Willis, Senior Vice President, Program Development, . Ambassador Mark Dybul, former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, authored the...
Durango Herald - Found Jun. 20, 2009
Celtic music of Eileen Ivers and the first alternative-country performance at the festival with Texas couple Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison.
AllAfrica.com - Found Jun. 18, 2009
... and Kelly Willis, Senior Vice President, Program Development, Accordia Global Health Foundation.
PRWeb - Found Jun. 18, 2009
... and Kelly Willis, Senior Vice President, Program Development, Accordia Global Health Foundation.
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Kelly Willis
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| Kelly Willis | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 2, 1968 |
| Origin | Annandale, Virginia, USA |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1990-present |
| Label(s) | MCA A&M Rykodisc |
| Website | Kelly Willis |
Kelly Willis (born October 2, 1968) is an American country music singer-songwriter, whose music has been described as contemporary country, alternative country and new traditionalist.
Contents |
Early life
Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S., Willis was the youngest of three children. While her father was a U.S. Army colonel, Willis’ mother had a strong interest in music and sang and acted in amateur musicals. Willis began singing when she was nine as a way to comfort herself after her parents divorced. After the divorce, Willis and her siblings lived with her dad and moved around the country to accommodate her father’s military job. She spent her middle school years in North Carolina and her high school years in Annandale, Virginia.
Career
Willis joined her first band in high school. Her boyfriend, drummer Mas Palermo, introduced Willis to his rockabilly band. The band took her on as the lead vocalist and soon rechristened the band Kelly Willis & the Fireballs. After Willis’ high school graduation, the band decided to move to Austin, Texas, to participate in the vibrant Austin music scene. After a few months in Austin, however, the band broke up. Willis and Palermo, married in 1989, formed a new band called Radio Ranch. In Austin, Willis attracted the notice of several influential Texas singer-songwriters including Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett. Griffith introduced MCA producer Tony Brown to Willis. Brown was very impressed with Willis’ vocal abilities and signed her to the MCA label in 1989.
MCA embarked on a big marketing campaign to tout Willis after she recorded her first album on the label, the 1990 album Well Travelled Love. MCA ensured that Willis was interviewed by several national magazines including unusual venues like Vogue and Mademoiselle. Her voice appeared in the 1991 Ridley Scott-produced movie Thelma and Louise, singing "Little Honey." Willis also had a small part in Tim Robbins’ 1992 film Bob Roberts. Despite of all the publicity and positive reviews from most reviewers, Well Travelled Love and Willis’ subsequent albums for MCA (Bang Bang in 1991 and Kelly Willis in 1993) sold modestly and received very little radio play. During this time, Willis felt uncomfortable with the way she was marketed by MCA. In 1994, MCA released Willis from her contract.
Willis continued to pursue her music career after leaving MCA. In 1996, she recorded an EP for A&M Records entitled Fading Fast. However, her relationship with A&M was short-lived; after working with two major labels, Willis decided to record her next album on her own. Her efforts resulted in the 1999 album What I Deserve, which Willis sold to Rykodisc after finishing the album. What I Deserve received quite a bit of press after the album’s release. It was commonly seen as Willis’ response to her history with MCA, and was uniformly praised by critics, becoming a hit for Willis.
Willis was also a judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.1
In 2003, Willis and Bruce Robison, her husband and fellow country musician, released the record Happy Holidays, a cover album of Christmas songs. Starting in 2005, Willis and Robison appeared in television and radio commercials for the anti-allergy product Claritin.2
In Fall 2007, Willis released Translated From Love. It was recorded at Robison's studio, Premium Recording Services, in Austin, TX.3 and produced by Chuck Prophet, formerly of the band Green On Red. The album is co-written by Willis, Prophet and notable songwriter Jules Shear, and includes a cover version of Iggy Pop's "Success."
In early 2008, Willis announced she would take an indefinite hiatus from live performances due to family obligations. Said Willis in a website announcement, "Being a traveling musician with four kids may not make an extremely compelling reality TV show but it is kicking my butt. I plan to continue making records. And I may do the occasional holiday show/song swap/benefit here and there.... Happy trails...until we meet again." Her winter / spring 2008 scheduled dates continued as planned until the final show May 2, 2008.
Personal life
Willis has experienced upheaval in her personal life. After marrying high school boyfriend Mas Palermo in 1989, he and Willis divorced in 1991. In 1992, Willis met Austin singer-songwriter Bruce Robison. They had a tumultuous relationship for the next few years. After several years of dating, Willis and Robison married in 1996.
After spending years on working, Willis turned to her family. She went through in vitro fertilization treatments, and gave birth to son Deral Otis in Jan 2001. Willis' experience with raising a child led to a different sort of album than the earlier What I Deserve. In 2002, Willis released Easy. The album expresses Willis' contentment with her new life through songs with a relaxed, mellow vibe. After the album’s release, Willis became pregnant again and gave birth to twins Abigail Esme and Benjamin James4 on March 24, 2003526 On January 11, 2006 Kelly welcomed 4th child Joseph Willis Robison; he weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces was 19.75 inches long.78
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Heat | US Indie | |||||||
| 1990 | Well Travelled Love | 64 | — | — | MCA | ||||
| 1991 | Bang Bang | — | — | — | |||||
| 1993 | Kelly Willis | — | — | — | |||||
| 1996 | Fading Fast (EP) | — | — | — | A&M | ||||
| 1999 | What I Deserve | 30 | 24 | — | Rykodisc | ||||
| 2000 | One More Time: The MCA Recordings | — | — | — | MCA Nashville | ||||
| 2002 | Easy | 29 | 17 | 19 | Rykodisc | ||||
| 2003 | Happy Holidays | — | — | — | |||||
| 2007 | Translated From Love | 46 | 12 | 37 | |||||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or not released | |||||||||
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | CAN AC | |||
| 1990 | "I Don't Want to Love You" | Well Travelled Love | |||
| "River of Love" | |||||
| "Looking for Someone Like You" | 85 | ||||
| 1991 | "Baby Take a Piece of My Heart" | 51 | 65 | Bang Bang | |
| "The Heart That Love Forgot" | |||||
| 1992 | "Settle for Love" | ||||
| 1993 | "Whatever Way the Wind Blows" | 72 | 73 | Kelly Willis | |
| "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" | 63 | 81 | |||
| 1999 | "Not Forgotten You" | 80 | What I Deserve | ||
| 2002 | "If I Left You" | Easy | |||
| 2003 | "Don't Come the Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim!" | ||||
| 2007 | "Teddy Boys" | Translated From Love | |||
| "The More That I'm Around You" | |||||
Other contributions
- Eklektikos Live (2005) - "Travelin' Soldier" (with Bruce Robison)
See also
Further reading
- Corcoran, Michael. “Happy holidays, from Kelly and Bruce; A songwriting duo's Christmas: The children will nestle all snug in their beds, while Mom and Dad's records dance in our heads.” The Austin American-Statesman 25 Nov. 2003: E1+.
- House, Silas. “Nothing to Fear.” No Depression July-Aug. 2002: 72-81.
- Manheim, James M. “Kelly Willis.” Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 12. Detroit: Gale, 1994. 278-280.
- Patoski, Joe Nick. “What She Deserves.” Texas Monthly Mar. 1999: 114-116.
- Picture of twins Abigail Esme and Benjamin James
- http://www.rykodisc.com/Catalog/dump/rykoalbums_1266.asp
- http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1481015/12092003/willis_kelly.jhtml
- http://dir.salon.com/story/mwt/feature/2003/08/01/rockermoms/index.html
- http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1520547/01112006/robison_bruce.jhtml
- blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=54700718&blogID=86100522&MyToken=805087ab-598c-4eb5-ab8f-8722740c1845</ref>
References
- ^ Independent Music Awards - Past Judges
- ^ a b CMT.com : Kelly Willis : Willis and Robison: A Texas Family Christmas
- ^ Doole, Kerry (2007). "“Kelly Willis Web Interview "". Exclaim!. http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=114&csid2=946&fid1=27347. Retrieved on 2007-09-18.
- ^ http://www.commotionpr.com/images/BruceKelly_twins.jpg
- ^ http://www.rykodisc.com/Catalog/dump/rykoalbums_1266.asp
- ^ Mothers who rock - Salon.com
- ^ CMT.com : Bruce Robison : Robison, Willis Welcome Fourth Child
- ^ blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=54700718&blogID=86100522&MyToken=805087ab-598c-4eb5-ab8f-8722740c1845
External links
- Kelly Willis official website
- Kelly Willis at Allmusic.com
- Kelly Willis discography at MusicBrainz
- Exclaim! - Interview with Kelly Willis - Exclaim! September 2007
