Where's She From?
Originally from Lawton, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children, Kelly Willis was an Army kid whose family eventually settled in Virginia. She has mentioned in interviews that her mother was involved in musicals when she was a child and that could have been the starting point for her own interest in singing.
The Music Business
That interest turned into something more substantial when in high school she went to the beach, got into a pay recording booth, and belted out "Teddy Bear" a song made famous by Elvis Presley. Demo tape in hand, she managed to get into her boyfriend's rockabilly band. With influences ranging from Patsy Cline, Wanda Jackson, the Blasters, the Tail Gators and the Leroi Brothers, Kelly and the Fireballs were a band whose popularity around the D.C. area was rising fast when in the late '80's , they decided to move to Austin, Texas.
The Big Break
It did not take long for Kelly to get noticed in Austin, one night while Kelly and the Fireballs were playing the Continental Club, Nanci Griffith wandered in near the end of the set. Upon hearing Kelly sing, Griffith headed for the phone and dialed MCA producer Tony Brown, who had signed Griffith as well as Steve Earle. A few months later, a record deal was done and work on her debut album "Well Traveled Love" began.
Her Music
Kelly released three albums for MCA Records spanning the years of 1990-1994. She then briefly signed to A&M Records releasing a 4 song EP called "Fading Fast" in 1996. Kelly signed a deal with Rykodisc and in February of 1999, the CD "What I Deserve" was released gaining Willis rave reviews and the best selling CD of her career. August 20, 2002 will mark the release date for Kelly's second CD on Rykodisc entitled "Easy".
About Kelly
Kelly took some time off over the last two years to devote her attention to being a new mother. Kelly Willis lives with her husband, songwriter/singer Bruce Robison and their son in Texas.
