About Me
Musician, engineer, arranger, vocalist, songwriter, programmer, keyboardist, producer. I guess you could use the old clique "Jack of all trades and master of none"!
I was born Keith Leslie McIntosh on September 5th, 1959 in Buchanan, Michigan. I started singing with my parents (both in the church choir) at the age of four. I made my public singing debut at the age of six. I took up the alto saxophone in fifth grade, and played in the marching, concert, jazz, and pep bands through my senior year. I joined my first rock band at sixteen. I began teaching myself to play keyboards and drums at seventeen.
At age nineteen, I quit my factory job to join a touring band, and basically spent the next thirteen years living out of a suitcase. I have had the good fortune of performing in a vast majority of the continental United States. I have shared the stage with bands such as Kansas, Grand Funk Railroad, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Earth Wind and Fire, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, as well as others.
In 1985, I moved to Saginaw to be with my now wife, Anne. (Our 22nd anniversary is this May 6th.) There was little to nothing going on there, and I ended up getting a job working for a pipe organ builder in Lansing. Commuting back and forth was a total pain, so we moved to the Capital City in 1986.
Within three months, I was the keyboard player for FULL HOUSE, the 'house' band at the Cabaret, a popular local nightclub. At this time, I took on the stage name of Keith(K.K.) Kurtiss. During my near five year run with the band, I became interested in recording after beginning to work in music retail. In the end, my patience with the band's direction waned, so guitarist Randy Engardio and drummer Scott Ellsworth and I joined forces with bassist Randall Guile to start the band that would become a Lansing institution: BOY'S NITE OUT.
From 1991 to 2005, BNO was the dominant force in the area club scene, the top draw at every bar we appeared at. In January 2006, Randy Engardio decided he had lost his desire to perform, and the band dissolved. Ten days later, I found myself in the hospital fighting for my life.
I have polycystic kidney disease, and had already been on dialysis treatments for awhile. An intestinal disorder created an abdominal infection called Peritonitis, immensly painful and more than 90% fatal. I survived a 106 degree fever and spent three weeks flat on my back, constantly being given antibiotics to fight off the infection. After resting at home for two weeks, I returned to the hospital for surgery to remove six feet of my lower intestine. It would be one of ten surgical procedures I would endure over the next nine months.
It took over eighteen long, hard months to get back on my feet and return to gigging form, but I am back on my feet and ready to go! If anyone in the Lansing area needs a keyboard player, here I am!
During all these years, my interest in recording continued to expand, and I dove into the learning processes involved with audio, acoustics, arrangement, and production. I did as much hands on recording, reading, and studying as I could. In 1999, Anne and I finally took the plunge and bought a house, allowing me to begin building my own recording studio. In February of 2000, The basic facility that has evolved into KLM AUDIO was completed. The studio operates as a commercial facility, a private project studio, and as rehearsal space to this day. I have produced a good number of albums for bands, duets, and soloists, as well as some radio ad work, a CD book, and even a movie soundtrack!
And so, I guess I've come full circle. My health can be an issue sometimes, but I am happy and indeed blessed. I thank you for visiting my page, and I hope you enjoy the music!
After all, all I've ever wanted to do was play.............
