Kelly Ryan

From an early age it was clear what Kelly was meant to do: write and perform music. She started out in the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Granite City, IL at 2 years old with children’s favorites like, “Jesus Loves Me”, and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” She would perform these solos in front of the entire congregation at the conclusion of Sunday services. Her aunt was a long time member of the church and whenever Kelly visited her grandmother in Granite City, she would attend church ...

From an early age it was clear what Kelly was meant to do: write and perform music. She started out in the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Granite City, IL at 2 years old with children’s favorites like, “Jesus Loves Me”, and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” She would perform these solos in front of the entire congregation at the conclusion of Sunday services. Her aunt was a long time member of the church and whenever Kelly visited her grandmother in Granite City, she would attend church with her aunt. With roots extending from Granite City to the Poplar Bluff, MO area, she would be exposed to many different types of music. Born to two young parents in the seventies almost guaranteed she would learn & love groups like The Stones, Led Zepplin, & The Mamas and The Papas. But in equal measure she would also be influenced by Christian and Country music with family originating throughout not only the Bible belt, but also the southern region of Missouri. Her aunt and uncle (from both sides of the family) were part of the original members of “The Gospel Four” so music has always been a part of life for Kelly. She started writing and performing music in grade school, but it would be many years before that talent would be honed into the lyrical accomplishments in her music today. It began when she met music producer and fellow musician, Phil Minardi, in St. Louis. Together they wrote every song on her new album, “Long Time’ Comin’”. It would take many years and an incredible amount of patience, but the result was worth the wait. “Writing for me is usually centered around life events. I’ll hear choruses and melody lines and sometimes catchy hooks, but it really takes the collaboration with Phil to put it all together,” says Kelly. And there you have the basis for songs like, “Suits Me Just Fine”, “Heaven Can Wait”, “Never More Than Now” and “Wishing Well of Dreams”. All of the songs are very much real life that real people can relate to. Just to mix it up, the album also contains sexy songs to rev your engine like “Go for a Ride”, and a rowdy, playful, girlfriend song like “Dirty 30”, about girls turning 30 but still able to hang just fine! To watch Kelly sing is just as exciting as hearing her! Whether performing her own music or covers, her love of country music is evident when you hear the soulful, sultry timbre of her voice. The way she relates to a crowd and engages them is comparable to any musician with years of major concert experience. And most recently, she has added another emotion-evoking favorite to her repertoire, “The National Anthem”. She has performed this song many times at various dedications, memorials, parties, social functions, and political events. She is becoming quite sought after in the St. Louis Metropolitan area as a result of her growing popularity due in part to this song. The title of the album is apt when you consider the hard work and years she and everyone on her team has put into it, and all of the stops and starts along the way. Shortly after the release, her younger brother J.C. was killed by a drunk driver while walking down the street. His girlfriend who was 6 months pregnant at the time was also killed. That would mark the single most devastating time in Kelly’s life, and it would be years before recovering enough to press on. But press on she has, finally back to writing music and recording new material. Clearly the tide has turned and while this moment might have been a long time comin’, she’s well on her way now!