Forthcoming Events (1)

Friday 29th May 2026, 8:00 pm: The Dave Kelly Band

Biography

When not touring with The Blues Band, Dave Kelly enjoys doing solo acoustic performances  :- Ely Folk Festival, Glastonbury, The Great British R&B Festival in Colne and Blues On The Farm in Chichester, being just a few of them, he regularly plays at the Vancouver Island festival and indeed festivals dotted across Europe.

Dave Kelly was a founder member of The Blues Band with Paul Jones, Hughie Flint & Tom McGuinness, and Gary Fletcher over forty ago. When The Blues Band started back in 1979 Dave was already a seasoned blues artist with a reputation across the world. In the early sixties he started performing acoustic, mostly Mississippi style blues, in folk clubs. His first performance was a floor spot at The Half Moon Putney in 1964 – a session run by Gerry Lockran, Cliff Aungier & Royd Rivers. In 1966 he went to the USA and played at Gerde’s Folk City in New York. On returning from the States he joined The John Dummer Blues Band as lead vocalist and guitarist. It was with The Dummer Band that he made two UK tours backing John Lee Hooker and one with Howlin Wolf. After leaving the JDBB late in ’69 he went back to solo performing and toured and recorded with the legendary Eddie ‘Son’ House.
Since then he has recorded TV themes and backed in concert Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, when not working with The Blues Band

In the last decade…. Dave released his album on Hypertension Records entitled: Dave Kelly – Family and Friends. Featuring tracks with various family and friends recorded over the past 45 years. Guest include: Jo-Anne Kelly, Eric Bibb, Long John Baldry, Maggie Bell, Chris Barber, Jona Lewie, Christine Collister, Chuck Leavell, Paul Jones, Howlin Wolf.

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