Paul Kelly - Biography
Guitar and Harmonica-slinging singer-songwriter Paul Kelly is viewed by many of his fellow Aussies as a national treasure. Whether solo, with his numerous bands, he's often credited with creating a uniquely Australian sound which, while meant to be complimentary, is sometimes also given as the reason for his failure to rise above obscurity in the rest of the world. In addition to performing six Top 40 hits, he's also either written with or for musicians including Nick Cave, Yothu Yindi, Archie Roach, Kelly Willis and others.
On January 13th, 1955, in a taxi making its way to North Adelaide's Cavalray Hospial, Josephine Kelly (née Filippini) gave birth to her sixth child, Paul. She and lawyer John Erwin went on to have three more before John died in 1968 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. After Paul completed school, he wandered aimlessly around Australia, working odd jobs and nursing literary aspirations. In his late teens, he finally picked up a guitar and made his public performance debut in 1974, playing "Streets of Forbes" in Hobart. In 1976, he moved to Melbourne and was included on a Melbourne-based various artists' release, Debutantes. The following year, he joined a pub rock band, The High Rise Bombers. They proved short-lived, unable to survive the tensions wrought by the inclusion of three songwriters and drug abuse. Two of their tracks, "She's Got It" and "Domestic Criminal," eventually appeared in 1981 on a compilation, The Melbourne Club (Missing Link).
Kelly formed his own band, The Dots, which included at various times, Chris Langman (guitar, vocals), John Lloyd (drums), Paul Gadsby (bass), Chris Malhebe (guitar), Chris Worral (guitar), Tony Thornton (drums), Chris Dyson (guitar), Alan Brooker (bass), Tim Brosnan (guitar, vocals), Mick Holmes (guitar) Maurice Frawley (guitar), Huk Treloar (drums) and Alex Formosa (drums). Paul Kelly and the Dots released their debut single, "Recognition" in 1979. They subsequently signed to Mushroom and released "Billy Baxter" in November, 1980, which peaked at 38. That year Kelly also married Hilary Brown who gave birth to their first child, Declan. After releasing their full-length debut, Talk (1981-Mushroom), Paul Kelly and the Dots travelled to Manila, Philippines, late in the year to record their follow-up, Manila (1982-Mushroom). Its release was delayed by almost a year after Kelly's jaw was broken in a Melbourne assault and due to the band's unstable line-up. Kelly was famously dismissive of both albums, remarking of them, "I wish I could grab the other two and put 'em in a big hole." That year, the band contributed "Rocking Institution" for the soundtrack for Gillian Armstrong's film, Starstruck.
In 1983, Kelly formed The Paul Kelly Band, keeping Frawley from the Dots and joined by Michael Armiger (bass), Greg Martin (drums), Steve Connolly (guitar) and Michael Barclay (drums). The following year Martin was replaced by Michael Barclay (Weddings, Parties, Anything) and not-yet-fulltime Triffid Evil Graham Lee (guitar, pedal steel) joined. Although Kelly described his dope addiction as "a long period of occasional use," it was given as the reason for the band's sometimes erratic performances and the break-up of his marriage. Late that year, he broke up the band and moved to Sydney to share a place with Dragon's Paul Hewson. There, over two weeks, he recorded Post, a song cycle structured around Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney recorded with Barclay, guitarist Steve Connolly (The Zimmermen) and bassist (Ian Rilen (Rose Tattoo and X). The album was dedicated to Hewson, who died of a heroin overdose shortly after Kelly moved in.
In 1985, he formed The Coloured Girls with Connolly, Barclay, Armiger as well as Peter "Pedro" Bull (keyboards, vocals) and Jon Schofield (bass, vocals). Armiger soon quit. Mushroom wasn't interested in re-signing Kelly and his manager, Stuart Coupe, advised him to sign with Regular. However someone at Mushroom was in Kelly's corner. Public Relations officer Michelle Higgins felt so strongly that she locked herself, at great peril, in the Sebel Townhouse Hotel at Mushroom's expense for nearly a week. As a result, Michael Gudinski gave in and signed Kelly to another two record deal. In September, Mushroom were rewarded with the 24-song double album, Gossip (1986). Go-Between Robert Forster reckoned it exemplified "a sound that will not only influence future roots-rock bands but, through its directness, sparkle and dedication to the song, will also come to be seen as particularly Australian." It peaked at fifteen.
Late in 1987, Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls returned with Under the Sun (Mushroom), which was released the following year in Europe and North America as the work of Paul Kelly and the Messengers, the assumption being that the band's reference to Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" might be seen as racist in PC-gripped societies. The single, "To Her Door" peaked at fourteen. The supported the album with a tour of the US, initially in support of Crowded House, and then headlining. In 1988, their song, "Dumb Things" was included in the Yahoo Serious film, Young Einstein. It, like Starstruck, featured Kaarin Fairfax in a small role and this time, she met Kelly and the two married. The band renamed themselves Paul Kelly and the Messengers officially in 1989 and Fairfax signed on as back-up vocalist.
So Much Water, So Close to Home (1989-Mushroom) was produced by Scott Litt and perhaps, not surprisingly, reflected America's influence. It peaked at ten. Fairfax began releasing country music as Mary-Jo Starr, using Paul Kelly and the Messengers as her backing band for three albums, beginning with The Drive-In Motel (1991). That year the couple gave birth to their first daughter, Madeleine. After Paul Kelly and the Messengers' Comedy (1991-Mushroom) peaked at twelve, Kelly felt the group had reached its logical conclusion and, to avoid ending in formula or disappointment, disbanded the group after a farewell tour. The band's final release was Hidden Things (1992-Mushroom), a collection of B-sides and non-LP tracks and other rarities which reached 29.
An again solo Kelly was approached to compose music for Roger Bennett's play, Funerals and Circuses. In addition to doing so, Kelly acted in it as well and the premiere, in Adelaide, was directed by his wife. For the film, Garbo, Kelly co-wrote "Hey Boys" with Hunters & Collectors' Mark Seymour. The following year, he contributed to the soundtrack for Seven Deadly Sins. He broadened his range of activities and produced Koori singer Archie Roach's Charcoal Land and collaborating with Yolngu band, Yothu Yindi. He also released his first book of poetry, Lyrics. In 1993, he and Kelly had another baby, named Memphis. He also performed in 1993 with a band made up of guitarist Shane O'Mara, keyboardist Bruce Haymes, bassist Stephen Hadley (Black Sorrows), drummer Peter Luscombe (Black Sorrows) and guitarist Spencer P Jones (Beasts of Bourbon) and relocated to Los Angeles. In LA, he produced fellow Aussie Renee Geyer's 1994 album, Difficult Woman. His own record of that year, Wanted Man (1994-Mushroom), expanded his influences and reached 11. He also scored Alkinos Tsilimidos's film Everynight... Everynight. The following year he released Deeper Water (1995-Mushroom) and undertook a seven-week tour, sometimes appearing with Joe Jackson and Liz Phair. A live album followed, Live at the Continental and the Esplanade (1996-Mushroom) Kelly (Mandolin, fiddle and vocals), Adam Gare (fiddle, mandolin and vocals), Peter Somerville (banjo and vocals) and Stuart Speed (double bass) as the bluegrass-infused act, Uncle Bill, who contributed “The World’s Got Everythin’ In It” to the compilation, Where Joy Kills Sorrow, and the following year,“The Sunlander,” for the Slim Dusty tribute, Not So Dusty. Kelly released another solo record the following year, Words & Music (1998-Mushroom). Uncle Bill returned in 1999 with Smoke, which was comprised of old and new Kelly songs given the bluegrass treatment. The same year, Kelly, Hadley, Hames and Luscombe formed a dub side project, Professor Ratbaggy.
In 2000, Kelly's mother died in 2000 in Brisbane, Queensland and he returned to film scores, composing and performing music with Mairead Hannan, Carmody, John Romeril, Deirdre Hannan and Alice Garner for the 2001 film, One Night the Moon, in which he also acted alongside his wife and Memphis. Not long after the film's release, Fairfax and Kelly separated. 2001's ...Nothing but a Dream (2001-EMI) was Kelly's highest charting album, peaking at 7. That year he was picked to be Bob Dylan's support on the Australian leg of his tour. That fall, he performed a series of acoustic shows in Oceania and Europe, supporting Ani DiFranco in France. In 2002, his score for the film Lantana was released as Lantana (Music for the Feature Film) (2002-EMI Australia). That year he was feted with a tribute, Women at the Well from 2002, which featured fourteen female artists performing his songs. Kelly also began dating former opera singer Sian Prior. In 2003, another Kelly tribute followed, Stories of Me.
2004's double disc Ways & Means (2004-EMI) peaked at thirteen. Though identified as a solo record, in hindsight Kelly retroactively named the backing band The Boon Companions. The Boon Companions included Kelly's nephew Dan Kelly (guitar), Peter Luscombe (drums) and his brother Dan (guitar and keyboards) and Bill McDonald on bass. The same year the score for Fireflies was written by Kelly and Stephen Rae and released as Fireflies: Songs of Paul Kelly. It featured his work with The Boon Companions, Professor Ratbaggy, Uncle Bill and The Stardust Five — a surf band comprised of both Kellys, both Luscombes and McDonald. In the spring and summer, Kelly performed in North America and Europe before returning to Melbourne where, in December, he performed 100 of his songs in alphabetical order over two nights.
Kelly formed yet another line-up, Paul Kelly & the Stormwater Boys, in 2005, comprised of Rod McCormack (guitar), Mick Albeck (fiddle), James Gillard (bass), Ian Simpson (banjo) and Trev Warner (mandolin). They released Foggy Highway (2005-EMI), another bluegrass treatment of old and new Kelly compositions. In June 2005, he organized Timor Leste — Freedom Rising, to benefit East Timor by funding Life, Love and Health and The Alola Foundation with the album's sales. In 2006, Kelly scored the film Jindabyne, and in March, Stardust Five released their self-titled debut. After moving back to Sydney, Kelly again toured the US, playing with The Waifs. In November and December, he again played 100 of his songs in alphabetical order at the Brisbane Powerhouse, Spiegeltent and the Sydney Opera House. The following year, Kelly released the religious themed Stolen Apples (2006-EMI) after which Dan Luscombe left to join The Drones and was replaced by guitarist Ashley Naylor (Even) and keyboardist Cameron Bruce (The Polaroids). A September 20th, 2007 performance in Toowoomba, Queensland was filmed and released on DVD as Live Apples: Stolen Apples Performed Live in its Entirety Plus 16 More Songs (2008). In 2009, he supported Leonard Cohen on his first Australian tour in 24 years. The two musicians together donated $200,000 to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal to benefit those affected by Black Saturday. A subsequent performance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground raised money for the Red Cross Bushfire relief. Also on the ticket were Hunters & Collectors, Midnight Oil, Jet, Liam Finn, Split Enz, Wolfmother and others. As of late, Kelly has contributed to the magazine The Monthly and is writing a memoir, tentatively titled How to Make Gravy. In 2012 he released Spring And Fall.
