The history of the Kelly Family must be one of the most interesting biographies there is. All began in 1966 when Daniel Jerome Kelly and Barbara Ann Soukko with four children moved from the USA to Spain where lived the best singers and dancers of that time. At first, Barbara was only a nanny for children but very soon she and Daniel fell in love with each other. Dan and Barbara decided that they would bring up the children to the music
since their infancy. But they lived without electricity and they went for water 300 metres to the nearest well, at that time. They made their living by selling and buying antiques. Even though, today all the children say: "We were happy and there was nothing what we would miss." In 1974 they set up the band "Kelly Kids" and after three years this band was renamed "The Kelly Family". Dan and Barbara brang up 12 children and 9 of them stood on the top of the fame - Angelo, Maite, Paddy, Barby, Joey, Jimmy, Patricia, Johnny and the oldest Kathy. But it's far future now. In 1982 there came a big pain to their lives - mother Barbara died... her last words were "Keep On Singing..." and these words became a motto
of the Kelly Family.
20 years, since 1974 until 1994, they wandered through Europe and the USA, before there came hit that everybody knows today - if they like it or not. We're talking about the song "An Angel" with Paddy and Angelo at microphone. Their album "Over The Hump" brang the final breakthrough. This album has sold more than 4,5 million copies in Europe. It has sold 3,5 million copies in Germany alone, making it German all-time best-seller. The family filled all European football stadiums and made their biggest live appearence in Vienna in front of an audience of 250 000. Streets, tents and squares became too small for this successful family.
In 1999 they celebrated 25 years since the band foundation. "The Kelly Family" became the youngest legend of the world. Meanwhile, the Kellys are known on other continents, in countries such as China, South Africa and the USA.
Because of their job, they lived in many countries: Spain, the USA, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland and Germany. Because of their travelling, they speak a lot of languages. Everybody speaks English, German, Spanish, French and a lot of them speak Dutch, too. Patricia speaks even Italian and she learns to speak Russian now, because her husband is from Russia.
In 1996 they moved from Germany to Ireland to one of their castles - East Grove - and in 1998 they moved back to Germany to their second castle, Gymnich. But today, the Irish castle is sold. They all live in their flats in or near K�ln, except Johnny who lives in Spain.
On August 5th, 2002, the father of the Kelly Family, Daniel Jerome Kelly (71), died. All the
children were with him and prayed for him at that moment. His last words were:
"Keep On Singing..."| back | back to biographies |