Kelley Hunt is an American blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. Her 2004 album, ''New Shade of Blue'', peaked at number 9 in the '' Billboard''

Top Blues Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

chart. In 2006, Hunt was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame. Her sixth album, ''The Beautiful Bones'', was released on 88 Records in May 2014. She is based in Lawrence, Kansas.

Life and career

She was born Kelley Wade in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, and was initially musically inspired by her mother's jazz and blues styled singing. She attended Lowther Junior High School in Emporia, Kansas, in 1970/71, and the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

in 1977. Hunt's own musical influences came from a diverse range, including the work of Ruth Brown,

Ann Peebles Ann Lee Peebles (born April 27, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s for Hi Records. Two of her most popular songs are " I Can't Stand the Rain", which she wrote with her husband ...

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, ...

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and B ...

and

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, an ...

amongst others. Her self-titled debut album, which was released in 1995, featured the bassist

Reggie McBride Reggie McBride (born September 17, 1954) is an American bass player. Biography McBride was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, United States; listening to Motown records, he began to play bass at the age of 8. At the age of 14, he played in ...

and saxophonist

Wilton Felder Wilton Lewis Felder (August 31, 1940 – September 27, 2015) was an American saxophone and bass player, and is best known as a founding member of the Jazz Crusaders, later known as The Crusaders. Felder played bass on the Jackson 5's hits "I Want ...

. In 1998, Hunt's song "If I Don't Dance" from her debut album, was used in the film, '' Dance with Me''. The album ''Inspiration'', followed in October 2000. Her 2004 album, ''New Shade of Blue'', which was produced by Garth Fundis and Gary Nicholson, peaked at number 9 in the '' Billboard'' Top Blues Albums chart. Her fourth album, ''Mercy'' was issued in 2009, and the '' Star Tribune'' noted "Surprises don't often crop up on the well-trodden blues circuit. This Kansan is a full-blown phenomenon: powerhouse singer, hardboogieing pianist, polished songwriter…" In 2011, ''Gravity Loves You'' was released which included twelve new songs. As well as her own tracks, several were co-written with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg. The '' St. Louis Beacon'' stated "Hunt's songwriting shines on powerful, moving compositions like 'Deep Old Love', 'This Fall', 'In the End' and the title cut. And she proves she can shine on the keyboard as well - with dynamic inspired playing throughout". She also released the single "Heartland", with Hunt on piano and vocals, plus the mandolin player

Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Reviva ...

. The same year she performed a piano/vocal duet with Sista Monica Parker on the latter's album, ''Living in the Danger Zone''. Hunt made her debut as an actress in '' Bunker Hill'' (2008), where she also contributed music to the film's soundtrack. She has variously performed at the Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival (2013),

Memphis in May Memphis in May International Festival is a month-long festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival, which is saluting Ghana in 2022, honors a specific foreign country every year and features many events. The ''Beale Street Music Festival'' ...

Austin City Limits Music Festival The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-base ...

, and Thursday at the Square. In addition, she has appeared six times on '' A Prairie Home Companion''. Hunt's sixth album, ''The Beautiful Bones'', was released in May 2014.

Discography

Publication

* ''Landed: New Poetry'' (Lawrence, Kansas: Mammoth Publications), 2009. (a book of poetry and CD with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg presenting her poetry, as well as songs co-written and performed by Hunt)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Kelley Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American blues singers American women singers American blues pianists American rhythm and blues keyboardists 21st-century American composers American film actresses Songwriters from Missouri Musicians from Kansas City, Missouri Singers from Missouri 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American women pianists 21st-century American women composers

Life and career

Discography

Publication

See also

References

External links