WINZELL KELLY

A Detroit, Michigan born native, Winzell Kelly has never been a stranger to music with his parents being gospel and blues singers. Winzell played saxophone while attending high school in Highland Park, Michigan and then switched to the bass guitar while playing in his church choir. His early influences helped to develop his mix of classic soul and his desire to be on the cutting edge of the latest music trends. Winzell's philosophy is "The young have to be smart enough to respect the knowledge of the old and the old have to be wise enough to utilize the strength of the young and together nothing can stop us!"
In his professional career, he has been a vocalist with the Capital makers of the smash hit "Cool Jerk". He also was a member of the Five Special and the Legendary Floaters makers of the smash hit “Float On”. He then joined the Legendary Dramatics makers of hits such as "What You See Is What You Get" and "In The Rain". "Win" as he is more affectionately known to friends has remained with the Dramatics for the last 15 years and is currently working with the group and Grammy Award winning producer Mike Powell on a new album tentatively called “Bad Girls”.
Winzell has toured all over the world and performed alongside some of the greatest R&B and Soul Artists of all time. He brings enormous energy and showmanship to the stage each and every time he performs.
An accomplished singer, songwriter and producer, Winzell Kelly is a force to be reckoned with. He also owns his own recording studio. Winzell is currently booking artists in his studio located in the historic Woodbridge Gallery in Detroit, Michigan. With top-notch production, industry standard mixing and Winzell's creative producing talents look for the studio and label to make waves in the future!
Winzell is currently preparing for a solo release on Homegrown Entertainment, a Midwest based label. The project is being Executive Produced by Ramon "Mr. Nizguy" Burnham (Homegrown's CEO). Look for the album to be available soon "Winzell's World" with notable appearances by the Dramatics, Cristy Lucas, K. Swade, Deion Lucas (formerly of the group 7 Mile) and many more! Winzell can still be found touring worldwide with the Fabulous Dramatics and in the studio working on various projects. Winzell is also working on collaborations with rappers and other R&B singers as a producer and artist.
Winzell has also produced and written on several projects. Including his own 2004 release "In Case You Didn't Know" available exclusively on this page and on www.winzellkelly.net and the 2005 release "Outta The D" a compilation that featured Deion Lucas of 7 Mile, Damyhn Elliot, Alexander Swade and Crystal Lucas.
Winzell has also written and helped produce 4 songs that have been recorded by the Dramatics "All I want for Christmas is my baby" featured on the Dramatics Christmas Album and "Baby Boo" (Which he led), "Special Lady" and "I'm so alone" all featured on the album "Look Inside".
About The Dramatics
Throughout a three-decade career of hits, hard work, and steady touring, the Dramatics have been honing their rich vocal blend. To judge by Greatest Hits Live, a Stax CD recorded at a June 2001 concert in New Haven, the venerable Detroit soul quintet is still at the top of their game.
“We rehearse at least once a week, and we’ve been doing it for the last 30 years,” explains lead singer L.J. Reynolds. “We really get on each other about the vocals.” “When we started years and years ago,” adds Ron Banks, who shares lead vocal chores with L.J., “one thing that we used to do a lot was transformations of the vocals. I might sing baritone, the baritone might sing second tenor, the second tenor might sing bass. That way we would learn different vocal structures for each person. It’s paid off through the years. Most everybody can sing in different registers.”
The Greatest Hits CD is packed with Dramatic classics like “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get,” “In the Rain,” and “Be My Girl,” but also contains the group’s version of “Doggy Dogg World” (the Dramatics sang on the Snoop Dogg hit). “Why shouldn’t we do it and put the Dramatics’ stamp on it?” says L.J.
Initially formed in 1962, the Dramatics first signed with Volt—then a part of Stax Records in Memphis—in 1969, but were dropped after one unsuccessful single. They found their fortune after re-signing in 1971, quickly becoming one of soul music’s supergroups with a string of hits that included “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get,” “Get Up and Get Down,” “In the Rain,” “Hey You! Get Off My Mountain,” and “Fell for You.” The group moved over to Cadet Records in 1974 and the next year to ABC, where they charted such hits as “Me and Mrs. Jones,” “Be My Girl,” “I Can’t Get Over You,” “Shake It Well,” and (after ABC was absorbed by MCA in 1979) “Welcome Back Home.”
Following a short stay at Capitol Records, the Dramatics disbanded in 1982. Leader Ron Banks pursued a solo career, as did L.J. Reynolds, who’d left in 1980.
In 1985, however, Banks and Reynolds reunited with other group members to record Somewhere in Time (A Dramatic Reunion) with producer F.L. Pittman for Fantasy Records in Berkeley, California. The reunion was intended to be only temporary, but the album and tours surrounding it were greeted with such enthusiasm that the singers decided to stick together. In 1989, they found themselves back on Volt—by then a division of Fantasy—with the Pittman-produced album Positive State of Mind.
They followed up with Stone Cold (1991), A Dramatic Christmas (1999), and If You Come Back to Me (2000); L.J. Reynolds also recorded a solo album, Love Is About to Start (1999).
Greatest Hits Live is dedicated to the memory of Fantasy executive Phil Jones, who died in May 2001. Jones had played a key role in the Dramatics’ career for the last 17 years by giving the green light to the group’s Reunion project and their subsequent recordings for the label.
The Dramatics’ distinctive harmonies are characterized by a top-to-bottom blend surpassed by few other groups in the business. Anchored by Willie Ford, one of the strongest bass singers on the planet, the quintet features the alternating leads of high tenor Banks and low tenor/baritone Reynolds. Lenny Mayes and Winzell Kelly completed the lineup. Kelly who is one of the most versatile members of the group raps, produces, writes and arranges songs. At the live shows he can be found knocking the ladies off their feet leading the Dramatic classic "Be My Girl". "It is an honor to be able to add some of my own flavor in the live show to such a classic." said Kelly from his Detroit studio.
Banks, the only original member of the group remaining, was attending Detroit’s Cleveland Junior High School when he joined with five students from Pershing High School in 1962 to form the group that soon became known as the Dramatics. Banks’s friend Ford joined in 1969, after having sung briefly with the Capitols.
Reynolds joined in 1972; the Saginaw-born singer had recorded earlier as a solo artist and with the group Chocolate Syrup. Mayes came on board with Reynolds. Kelly, who at the time was the newest member, has been with the Dramatics now for over 15 years.
The Dramatics’ style was initially influenced by such groups as the Temptations, Four Tops, Miracles, and Little Anthony and the Imperials. The Contours (of “Do You Love Me?” renown) provided the model for the Dramatics’ lively, often spontaneous choreography.
None of the Dramatics’ early singles—for Wingate in 1964, Sport in ‘67, and Volt in ‘69—were substantial hits. Their luck changed in 1971 when producer Tony Hester spotted them at a Detroit nightclub and offered them his tune “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get.” The song and Hester’s production style, which showcased the group’s multi-lead vocals, were so catchy that Volt Records did not hesitate in re-signing the Dramatics.
An eight-month cross-country tour with James Brown—during which he told them, “I love you guys ‘cause you sweat a lot” followed their re-signing to Volt and helped to solidify a fervent following for the group.
The Dramatics’ loyal fan base came to include a new generation of music lovers in the Nineties. In 1993, the quintet contributed its harmonies to “Doggy Dogg World,” a track from rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg’s multi-platinum debut album. “Dr. Dre was getting ready to sample us,” Banks recalls, “and Snoop said, ‘No. This is my first album. Them cats still around, man.’ I didn’t even know what a Snoop Doggy Dogg was.”
The group has since collaborated with Coolio, 40 Thieves, and Ice Cube. And Banks produced a remake of “In the Rain,” the Dramatics’ biggest hit, featuring R&B heartthrob Keith Sweat and rapper Ghostface of the Wu-Tan Clan. Today, the Dramatics spend seven months a year touring. “We’re working exceptionally well, but we’re not killing ourselves,” Banks says. “They’re paying us more than they’ve ever paid us in our lives.” “The key to our success as the Dramatics is enjoying what we do,” Banks states. “Each one of us is happy as a lark when we’re ready to go on stage. Can’t wait to get there. God has been good to us and so have our fans. We look forward to staying good for them.”
This publication is one of the many that have featured articles and interviews with the Dramatics. The group has been covered in the media world wide and has fans that span the globe. The groups soulistic base and modified harmonies gives it an international appeal that listeners abroad find hard to resist.
The group is currently in the studio with producers such as grammy winner Mike Powell (Anita Baker, Regina Belle and a host of others) recording their new contribution to a rich history of soul classics. The album is tentatively titled "The Bad Girls Club" and is in production now.
L.J. Reynolds has released a gospel CD. The CD is titled "The Message" and is available now.
Winzell Kelly is in production on his first national solo release entitled "Winzell's World" where he will feature several of the artist he has produced over the years as well as hot new music from Win himself. The cd is slated to feature cameos from classic soul artist as well as top new school performers. "I am attempting by fusing the classic Dramatics sound with the new era flavor to ensure that the Dramatics aren't viewed as a nastalgic wonder but as a hit making machine with still plenty of history to make" says Kelly.
Beloved member of the group Lenny Mayes was called to rest on November 8, 2004. Considered one of the most loved Dranmatics of all time he is sadly missed.
Photography By nashastyle.com
Although there will never be a replacement for Lenny...his spot in the group has been taken over by Detroit singer Michael Brock. Brock has toured with the group and is recording with the group on the new CD.
The group also just put the finishing touches on a live performance DVD that is slated to be released very soon. The performance features current members of the group...Ron Banks, L.J. Reynolds, Winzell Kelly, Willie Ford and Michael Brock.
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