Kelly Shively; Celtic, Mountain, Folk, Gospel

Kelly Shively often refers to herself as a modern day Laura Ingalls, as her lifestyle is much like that of the famous farm girl. Having grown up on the farm with a father who put every day events into funny rhyming songs as he went about his work, and a Methodist grandma who required attendance in her Junior Choir; music became a great love at an early age. Performing was put on hold, however, until later on in life.
Kelly is first and foremost a mom, and most of her adult life was put into the effort of raising her three daughters with her husband, Phil. Musical performances mostly consisted of wedding solos, and occasional coffee houses, where she accompanied herself on the piano. She also sang at several ladies' meetings, accompanying herself with a celtic harp, made for her by a talented, long-time friend of the family.

After homeschooling all three girls, and finally graduationg the last one, she was persuaded to sing "where people can hear you!" by her friends. This led to the duet with Rick Meisterheim; /Harmony & Grits, /and more solo gigs. This was followed by a stint as the SongWeavers with Pam Luce and has just now evolved into a partnership with Norm Hausler. a guitar and bass pickin' man with a voice like Johnny Cash.
Kelly moved on from the piano, (it was cumbersome to haul around to gigs!) and now plays clawhammer banjo, celtic harp, fiddle, and her latest acquisition, a banjola. (and yes, they are ALL named!)

Kelly lives a lifestyle enjoyed by few in this day and age, raising horses, sheep and a multitude of other animals on a farm shared with her parents and children. She also spins, weaves, knits and has a great love for the old music and crafts. This is reflected in the music that she writes and sings. She weaves stories of love, family, and farming; intertwining the pain and hard work, with the humor, faith and hope involved in her lifestyle. Her clear soprano voice has been known to stop people in their tracks, and draw them into her songs. She loves nothing better than to draw you into her songs and keep you there until the entire story has been told.//