Celebrating 1 Year with CBMA!
Genre: Folk, Blues, Rock
Period: 2000-present
Region: Nova Scotia
Russell Kelley has an impressive background in folk, blues, and rock music. After surgery on his vocal cords, which he believed to be a career-ending procedure, Russ returned to writing and performing. He has achieved chart success with his songs in Canada, including a #1 hit on French pop music radio in Quebec, co-written and performed by Renee Martel.
Russ has also toured extensively in the US, signed a publishing deal with MCA Music Publishing in New York, and served as a solo artist and as part of a multitude of groups in Canada. He was initially based in Montreal and later in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he spent 25 years before losing his voice. He considers himself extremely fortunate as he was able to start a new life in Canada with the help of funding for the arts.
He worked as a program officer for the Canada Council for the Arts for five years. After that, he became the founding Executive Director of the first Nova Scotia Arts Council. Later, he was appointed to the newly created position of Acting Executive Director of Culture for the Province of Nova Scotia. Eventually, he was appointed the Head of Music for the Canada Council for the Arts, the national arts funding body. He remained in this position for a decade and started writing and singing again.
Although his voice is different now and has a diverse range, it has become an attractive, rough, and expressive voice that, combined with his excellent guitar skills, receives a positive response from audiences.
Kelley began performing again in the summer of 2012. Events include the Stan Folk Festival in Canso, Nova Scotia; the Mariposa Folk Festival in Ontario and for 12 dates of house concerts, dubbed Home Routes in Canada. He has performed at various gigs and festivals.
In early January 2013, Kelley released his first solo CD, Crazy Shades of Blue, in Toronto. The album includes 10 original songs recorded on Lake Winnipeg and features some of Winnipeg’s best musicians among other notable Canadian musicians. Guest artists, including Jane Bunnett, who won a Juno Award, and slide guitar master Doug Cox, add to the sweetness of the album. Russ’s career continued writing and performing across Canada.
On May 6th, 2015, he released his second CD, In Plain Sight, in Ottawa, followed by release shows in Toronto and Quebec. He resides in Ottawa.
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