Jack Kelley profile picture

Jack Kelley

About Me

..I love to sing. Show me a karoake machine and I'm there. It's funny how a song can make you cry or feel good and want to dance the night away. My choices of songs are ones that can stir up emotion and thought. Associating my life, at some point in time, with the lyrics. Many of the songs that Elvis sang really come home for me. My marriage, first child, divorce, and finding love all over again; all of it can be found in the songs he sang, and so I sing them.My mom, bless her heart, loved my singing. She came over one day asking me if I'd put something on a tape for her. Funny, she gave me enough tapes to record about 40 years worth of music. I spent hours, days, weeks and months trying to get a "good enough" recording for her. I knew my mom, and that she'd play it for people that I'd never even met before. I was never happy with the quality and the sound, singing into a tape recorder at home.I finally found a studio that was pretty resonable, and set out to make my first CD...for mom and the family. I recorded 10 songs and called the album "Dreaming The King". Truth was, I had to be "dreaming" to ever think I could sound good enough.I spent 10 hours in the studio with an in-house band, and completed the project. Not top notch quality, but "good enough" for my mom. I dedicated the album to her and gave her a copy at Christmas of 2002, a gift from my heart. The next thing I know is she needs like a 100 more cd's for all her friends...and one to replace the one I gave her because she gave it away.I also gave a few copies to close friends, and what do you know...all their friends wanted a copy. I'm like, "What the heck is going on?" I chose songs that most people have never even heard of. Sometime in Late March of 2003, I got a call from a bartender that wanted me to sing at her father's wedding reception. I barely knew this gal but I did sing at her bar a few times. She said her dad was an Elvis die-hard, and everything in his house was Elvis, and he just got married in Las Vegas, by an Elvi preacher. Oh man.I politely tried to beg off, and told her that I'm only a karaoke singer, that I don't even move on stage. I'm too self-conscious to be an impersonator. I suggested she find someone who does it for a living. She didn't care, she'd get me a band or a karaoke machine...what ever it took. I finally agreed. I showed up at the hall, basicly a big room in the back of another bar. I sang for 2 hours, in half-hour segments.After the first half hour, it seemed like the hall was getting pretty full. All the chairs were taken and people were standing all over the place. I found out later that everyone on the bar side could hear me and wanted to come over to hear a song. I was amazed by the response I got. Do you have CD? What's the name of your band? Where are you playing next? It was truely amazing. One guy was even tearing up. I thought that maybe he'd had too much to drink but later heard that one of my favorite songs, "My Boy", really struck him.My voice was pretty much trashed after 2 hours, but I had a lot of fun. That whole experience kind of put me on a different course. I'd very much like to meet up with people that would want to be involved in putting together an Elvis tribute show. Again, I'm not an impersonator, so that's not what I want to do. I just want to entertain people with Elvis' music.Well, thanks for stopping by and letting me share my story. I really hope you enjoyed it and my music. Leave a comment too, if you would. I can handle criticism, as long as it's constructive. It's nice to hear from people now and again. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, LOL.Peace out, Jack KelleyBy the way, I have to mention that the best Elvis voice I have ever heard is Shawn Klush. I have not heard anyone who can compare to this guys voice. Simply the best. He's on my friends list. Check him out. If you listen to his rendition of "If I Can Dream", pay attention to his opening statement. He dedicates the song to Elvis. But listen closely...you'd think it was Elvis himself! .. type="text/javascript" var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document·location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document·write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); .. .. type="text/javascript" try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8374073-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}..

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 18/03/2007
Band Members:



Influences: Only two people had a big impact on me and influenced my singing. Elvis Presley of course, and Eugene McDaniels. I met Gene and his family when my family lived in Hollywood in 1963. I was about 5 years old. My mom and dad were good friends with Gene and his wife, Wanda.I remember they'd come over and my mom would ask Gene to sing his new song, "100 pounds of Clay" and "Tower of Strength". 100 Pounds of Clay was so dynamic. I knew it by heart with in a couple weeks.Later, after I had moved to Milwaukee, I was walking through Juneau park and I saw a bandshell. People were gathered around and singing. I was about 7. I found out it was a talent contest. I asked if I could sing but they said it was for "grown-ups".Haha....As a kid I wasn't going to take no for an answer. They finally let me sing. Yep, I sang 100 Pounds of Clay, accapella. I didn't win anything, cause it was for "grownups", don'tcha know. But I got a lot of complements and all the attention was pretty cool.
Sounds Like: So what do I sound like? Well, many people say I sound like Elvis. I don’t think I do, but, I love his songs. At some point in his life, Elvis said that he’d never sing a song that he didn’t believe in. If people like the songs I sing, then I guess I sang them with enough emotion to stir something inside them. And that’s the best I can hope for.
Record Label: demo/unsigned

My Blog

Pneumonia

Ok, friends and fans I just got back from the hospital. The chest X-ray "suggests" that I do have an infection that they are treating as pneumonia. I've never had this so it was a surprise for me.  I'...
Posted by on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:28:00 GMT

Songs that mean something

These are a couple Dan Seals song that I changed the words to, to reflect my feelings at the moment.You Still Move Me by Dan SealsI've often wondered what would I doIf I found you alone like thisWould...
Posted by on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:04:00 GMT

rant

Did you ever have one of those lives where nothing went right? I wonder if I can get a refund?
Posted by on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:55:00 GMT

A Poem - by Unknown

This is a poem that I really like... thought I'd share it with you...As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.You will have your heart b...
Posted by on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:26:00 GMT

A song on my mind

Just Once by Quincy JonesI did my best, But I guess my best wasn't good enough, 'Cause here we are back where we were before. Seems nothing ever changes. We're back to being strangers, Wondering if we...
Posted by on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:18:00 GMT

A song by Carole King

Stayed in bed all morning just to pass the time There's something wrong here There can be no denying One of us is changing Or maybe we've just stopped trying And it's too late baby, now it's to...
Posted by on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:40:00 GMT

Nothing has changed, just the day and month.

You're just a little girl, lost in your head, unloved, beaten, and left for dead.But your heart still beats, you can feel it through mine. Come on baby and share my wine. Life can come back to you, if...
Posted by on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:33:00 GMT

Don't be afraid

Two people don't make a house a home.  It's the love they share that makes it a truly happy home. 
Posted by on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:14:00 GMT

Risk

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.To reach out for another is to risk involvement.To expose your feelings is to risk exposing your true self.To place your...
Posted by on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:54:00 GMT

Why

My life was like the Spring time. Once there was life, now there is only Winter.   Now I can only wait for a cold embrase and the kiss of death. It seems to be my only friend left.
Posted by on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:09:00 GMT