Paul Kelly

Biography

Paul Kelly AO was born on January 13, 1955, in Adelaide, Australia, as the sixth of nine children in a Catholic family with operatic heritage.[1][2] He began playing guitar at age 12 and made his performing debut in Hobart in 1974.[1] After arriving in Melbourne in 1976-1977, Kelly immersed himself in the city's pub rock scene, initially performing with Paul Kelly and the Dots, with whom he recorded two albums before the band dissolved in 1982.[1][3] His major breakthrough came in 1986 when his Sydney-based band, initially called The Coloured Girls (named after Lou Reed's 'Walk On The Wild Side') and later renamed Paul Kelly and the Messengers, released the double album Gossip, which became one of the biggest Australian records of that year.[1][2]

Throughout his career spanning nearly five decades, Kelly has established himself as one of Australia's most significant singer-songwriters, known for his poetic lyrics, marked Australian accent, and songs deeply rooted in specific Australian people, places, and experiences.[1] He has released 27 studio albums across diverse genres including bluegrass, country, contemporary classical, experimental dub, and soul.[4] Beyond recording, Kelly has worked extensively as a producer and composer for Australian film and television soundtracks, including the cult film Lantana.[2] His 2017 album Life is Fine marked his first number-one album, followed by two more number-one albums within three years, and his 2019 greatest hits album Songs from the South debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart.[1]

Kelly's legacy is defined by his artistic versatility, social consciousness, and collaborative spirit, particularly with First Nations artists.[1] He has received 17 ARIA Awards, including induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1997, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2017 for distinguished service to the performing arts and promotion of national identity.[1][2][4] His 2010 memoir How to Make Gravy, described as 'the finest and most unflinching autobiography ever written by an Australian musician,' and the 2012 biographical film Paul Kelly: Stories of Me have cemented his status as a cultural icon.[1][4]

Fun Facts

• Kelly's 1996 Christmas song 'How To Make Gravy' became so cherished that it is being adapted into a feature film.[2]
• He conducted a series of concerts called The A-Z shows beginning in 2005, where he performed approximately 100 of his songs over four nights in alphabetical order by title; these recordings eventually became an 8-CD box set.[4]
• Kelly set Shakespeare sonnets to music in 2016 with the album Seven Sonnets & a Song, demonstrating his literary versatility beyond songwriting.[4]
• He is the grandson of two famous opera singers, connecting him to a rich musical heritage despite his rock music career.[5]

Associated Acts

• Paul Kelly and The Dots - guitar, lead vocals, original (1978-08–1982)
• Professor Ratbaggy - guitar, lead vocals, original (1999–present)
• Stardust Five - guitar, lead vocals, original (2005–present)
• Paul Kelly and the Messengers - original
• High Rise Bombers - lead vocals

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Van Morrison - Musical inspiration; Kelly wrote his first published song after listening to Morrison's album (Astral Weeks) [1974 (age 19)]

Key Collaborators

• Kev Carmody - Co-writer and frequent collaborator on Indigenous rights songs (From Little Things Big Things Grow (1991), other collaborative works) [1991 onwards]
• Yothu Yindi - Co-wrote land-rights anthem; collaborated on multiple projects (Treaty (1991)) [1991 onwards]
• Christine Anu - First Nations performer collaboration (Various collaborative projects) [Late 1980s onwards]
• Neil Finn - Live recording collaboration showcasing two songwriters performing each other's material (Goin' My Way (2013)) [2013]
• Paul Grabowsky - Jazz pianist collaboration (Please Leave Your Light On (2020)) [2020]
• Charlie Owen - Guitarist collaboration on funeral songs (Death's Dateless Night) [Post-2016]
• Dan Kelly - Nephew and fellow musician; performed together on multiple albums (Ways and Means, Stolen Apples, Stardust Five self-titled album) [2000s]
• Ziggy Ramo - Hip hop artist collaboration on reinterpretation of Kelly's work (Little Things music video (2021)) [2021]

Artists Influenced

• Archie Roach - Kelly produced and influenced the seminal Indigenous song (Took The Children Away) [Late 1980s onwards]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. To Her Door (Under The Sun)
2. Dumb Things (Under The Sun)
3. How To Make Gravy
4. Before Too Long (Gossip)
5. From Little Things Big Things Grow (Comedy)
6. Leaps And Bounds (Gossip)
7. To Her Door
8. Dumb Things
9. Four Seasons In One Day
10. Sleep Baby (Bananas and Other Delicious Things)

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #acoustic-rock, #rock, #singer-songwriter