Frankye Kelly was born in Jackson, Mississippi and exposed to music at the tender age of three by her grandmother.
It became apparent that her love of music was an innate part of her being. Kelly continued to develop her talent and won many talent [+]Frankye Kelly was born in Jackson, Mississippi and exposed to music at the tender age of three by her grandmother.
It became apparent that her love of music was an innate part of her being. Kelly continued to develop her talent and won many talent competitions during her school years.
Now settled in California, Kelly grew up as an "Air Force Brat" living in Europe and various states as a child, then on to Detroit in her "Days of Acquisition." During her developing years in Detroit she met people like Emmanuel Lasky who recorded, "Welfare Cheese" and Johnnie Mae Matthews who helped the Temptations in their early years. Ms Matthews wrote and recorded an R&B hit "I Have No Choice" which Kelly re-recorded. "I Have No Choice" climbed the charts in the Detroit metropolitan area.
Kelly has performed with many jazz and blues greats such as Calvin Keys, Coco Montoya, Robert Stewart, Ed Kelly, Kalil Shahid, and Buddy Montgomery. She opened for the legendary Pharaoh Saunders at the 2002 Sacramento Heritage Festival. She performed with Calvin Keys with the great Taj Mahal in the audience. "Taj and Pharaoh both complemented me on my voice and delivery", says Kelly.
Her blues influence from her cousin, Albert Collins, Master of the Telecaster,can be heard in her voice. He supported Kelly's decision to sing jazz,taught her about the music business and flew her to some of his sold out concerts for first hand experience. He advised her to always be humble and hold your audience in the highest esteem.
Vocal influences such as the "Divine One" Sarah Vaughn can be heard in Kelly's voice, and she is known throughout the greater San Francisco bay area one of the best jazz and blues vocalists. Kelly has worked the small hip jazz clubs to the ritzy towers of San Francisco's finest doing a six month engagement at the Top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel with bay area's own pop recording star Ricardo Scales.
Kelly received a standing ovation from a packed house for her performance at Kimball's East in Emeryville. Kelly has performed at various jazz festivals, and a number of prestigious bashes, some of which were hosted by Mayor Willie Brown Jr. She has toured Japan three times and just recently returned from Europe. On May 27, 2002 "Jazz In Flight" presented Kelly who per
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