Terry Kelly, CM (born 1955) is a Canadian

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

artist, athlete and professional speaker. Kelly has released six studio albums and charted eleven singles on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Canadian country singles chart. In addition to award nominations from the Juno Awards and the

Canadian Country Music Association The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) was founded in 1976 as the Academy of Country Music Entertainment to organize, promote and develop a Canadian country music industry. The groundwork for the association began on June 3rd, 1973 when a gr ...

, Kelly has also won seven

East Coast Music Award The East Coast Music Association is a non-profit association that hosts an annual awards ceremony based in Atlantic Canada for music appreciation on the East Coast of Canada. Its mission is to develop, advance and celebrate East Coast Canadian mus ...

s. In 2003, Kelly was inducted into the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

, the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours.Terry Kelly - Highlights
/ref> He sang the Canadian National Anthem at the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Paralympics in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

and also sang at the official installation ceremony of the 28th Governor General of Canada (

David Lloyd Johnston David Lloyd Johnston (born June 28, 1941) is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who served from 2010 to 2017 as Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation. He is the commissioner of the Leaders' Debates Commiss ...

) in 2010.

Biography

At the age of one, Kelly was diagnosed with

retinoblastoma Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a rare form of cancer that rapidly develops from the immature cells of a retina, the light-detecting tissue of the eye. It is the most common primary malignant intraocular cancer in children, and it is almost exclusively fo ...

, a cancerous condition that left him blind. As a child, he had both of his eyes removed. His parents sent him to the Halifax School for the Blind when he was seven. His recording career began in high school when he released five albums with instrumental band The Stringbusters. At the Canadian Track Championships, Kelly won Silver (2nd place) in 1979 and once more in 1980.Article in the Independent
/ref> He became the third blind person in the world to run a sub five-minute mile. He competed in the 1980 Paralympics in Arnhem, Netherlands and carried the

Olympic torch The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olym ...

as part of the cross Canada Torch Relay. Kelly released his first studio album, ''On the Move'', in 1985. His second album, ''Face to Face'', was released in 1988. "In My Father's House," the first single from Kelly's third studio album, 1992's ''Divided Highway'', was nominated for Single and

SOCAN The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is a Canadian performance rights organization that represents the performing rights of more than 135,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization collects ...

Song of the Year at the 1993

Awards. The same year, Kelly set an

s record when he won every award that he was nominated for, including Album of the Year (''Divided Highway''), SOCAN Song of the Year (''In My Father's House''), Male Vocalist of the Year, Country Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year. He was also nominated for a

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

Juno Award for Best Country Male Vocalist. A fourth album, ''Far Cry from Leaving'', followed in 1997. In 2000, Kelly was presented with the King Clancy Award.Biography
/ref> The following year, Kelly received an Honorary Doctorate of Civil Laws from the

University of King's College The University of King's College, established in 1789, is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.Roper, Henry. "Aspects of the History of a Loyalist College: King's College, Windsor, and Nova Scotian Higher Education in the Nineteenth Century." Anglic ...

. He also received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Saint Mary's University in 2002. Kelly's 2002 album, ''The Power of the Dream'' was the first music CD in the world with

Braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille disp ...

liner notes. In 2003, Kelly was appointed to the

. Kelly released his first Christmas album, ''Old Tyme Christmas'', in 2004. In 2005, he was presented with the Humanitarian Award from the

. Kelly travelled to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

in 2007 to perform for Canadian troops. In 2016, Kelly was inducted into the

Canadian Disability Hall of Fame The Canadian Disability Hall of Fame (formerly the Terry Fox Hall of Fame), recognizes "outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with physical disabilities". It is run by the Canadia ...

A Pittance of Time

Kelly's most recent single, "A Pittance of Time", was released in 2003. The song inspired a musical production, ''Two Minutes of Silence - A Pittance of Time''.A Pittance of Time
/ref> The song was motivated by an interaction Kelly observed at a drug store on November 11, 1999.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

Terry Kelly - Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador v. 3, p. 163-4
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Terry Blind musicians Canadian folk singer-songwriters Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian country singer-songwriters Living people Members of the Order of Canada Canadian blind people Musicians from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 1955 births Canadian Disability Hall of Fame GUN Records artists Blind singers