The Kelly Family

The Kelly Family is an European-American music group comprised of a multi-generational family, who plays from a repertoire of rock, pop and folk music. They have enjoyed considerable 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 unique gypsy image and a vagabonding lifestyle. This was emphasized by their 'ethnic' clothing (such as long floral skirts worn by the female band members), their hair (very long hair even on all the male band members), and also by their travels around Europe in a double-decker bus and houseboat. In recent years, however, they have presented a more modern look.

Background

The group had its origins in 1966 when Americans Barbara and Daniel Kelly moved together with the four children from Dan's previous mariage - Danny, Caroline, Kathy and Paul - from the USA to Spain, where they would sing at parties and local events. They became well-known enough that they appeared on Spanish television in 1975

After several years of busking, they landed a record contract in Germany in 1977.

Their first major chart hit came in 1980 with the song "Who'll Come With Me (David's Song)" which hit number 1 in the Netherlands and Belgium and was top 20 in Germany.

After the death of the mother Barbara Kelly in 1982 and the stroke suffered by father Daniel Kelly in 1990, the children (by this point partly grown ups), continued recording and performing on their own, although the father remained a leading figure in the group. In the 1990s, the group would enjoy their biggest success to date. Their 1994 album Over the Hump sold more than 3.5 million copies in Germany alone (the biggest selling pop album in German history), and 4.5 million copies throughout Europe. To promote the album, they played a concert to a Vienna audience of 250,000, in 1995. 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 also got a rare chance to play in Beijing, China, in front of 20,000 people. Success continued until they started to disagree on a professional basis at the beginning of the year 2000. Fan interest prompted a comeback with gigs in Germany in 2007.

Past and current band members

Daniel Jerome "Dan" Kelly (11 October 1930 – 5 August 2002)

Barbara Ann Kelly (2 June 1946 – 10 November 1982)

Children

Name	Birth	Birthplaces	Notes
Daniel Jerome "Danny" Kelly	1961	USA	has problems with his health, was never on tour
Caroline Kelly	1962	USA	works as nurse in the USA, is married, no issue
Kathleen Ann "Kathy" Kelly	6 March 1963	Leonminster, Massachusetts, USA	has a child (one son), is divorced from his father and goes with her silblings on tour, gives solo concerts too
Paul Kelly	16 March 1964	USA	has recently joined the band again and has issue (six sons and one daughter)
John Michael "Johnny" Kelly	8 March 1967	Talavera de la Reina, Spain	is married to Maite (nee Itoiz, 27 January 1975), no issue
Maria Patricia "Patricia" Kelly	25 November 1969	Gamonal, Spain	is married to Denis Sawinkin (19 February 1973 ), has issue (two sons)
James Victor „Jimmy“ Kelly	18 February 1971	Gamonal,Spain	is married to Maike (nee Höchst, 3 November 1980), has issue (two daughters)
Joseph Maria “Joey" Kelly	20 December 1972	Toledo, Spain	is married to Tanja (nee Niethen, 25 January 1973 ), has issue (two sons and one daughter)
Barbara Ann „Barby“ Kelly	28 April 1975	Belascoain, Spain	leaves the band in 2002, some sources say that she is ill and needs a nurse
Michael Patrick „Paddy“ Kelly	5 December 1977	Dublin, Ireland	sings with his family, stopped, lives now in France and studies theology in a convent
Maite Star Kelly	4 December 1979	East-Berlin, Germany	is married to Florent Raimond (6 January 1975), has issue (two daughters)
Angelo Gabriele Kelly	23 December 1981	Pamplona, Spain	is married to Kira (nee Harms, 7 October 1979) , has issue (one son and two daughters)

Discography

Notes

Peter Wendling, Die Kelly Family, die Geschichte einer Supergruppe, Goldmann 1995 (German Book)
Lisa Reinhard, Die Kelly Family und ihre Erfolge, Heyne 1995 (German Book)