Kevin Kelley (musician)
| Kevin Kelley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kevin Daniel Kelley |
| Born |
March 25, 1943 Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 6, 2002 (aged 59) Hollywood |
| Genres | Rock, country rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 1965–1973 |
| Labels | Columbia, Ampex |
| Associated acts | Rising Sons, The Byrds, Fever Tree |
Kevin Daniel Kelley (March 25, 1943 – April 6, 2002) was an American drummer, best known for his work with the rock bands The Byrds and the Rising Sons. Kelley also played drums for Fever Tree, although it is unknown whether he was an official member of the group or not. In addition, he worked as a session musician between 1969 and 1973, playing drums on albums by artists including John Fahey and Phil Ochs. He appears to have retired from the music industry after drumming on Michael Cohen's 1973 album, What Did You Expect? Kelley is the cousin of country rock pioneer and ex-member of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman. Kevin Kelley should not be confused with the similarly named Kevin Kelly, another American session musician who played piano for Joan Baez during the Rolling Thunder Revue and guested on albums by Tim Buckley, Bryn Haworth, and The Babys during the 1970s.
Kelley began his musical career playing drums for the Beverly Hills High School band, before attending Santa Monica College and Los Angeles City College to study music and composition. Following his time at college, Kelley spent three years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including a year in Japan, where he became interested in Eastern spirituality and Buddhism. In 1965, after returning to civilian life, he became the drummer with one of the earliest Los Angeles folk rock bands, the Rising Sons, a group that also included guitarists Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal. Kelley was brought in to replace the band's original drummer Ed Cassidy, who went on to join the jazz-influenced psychedelic rock band Spirit. Following Kelley's recruitment into the band, the Rising Sons were signed to Columbia Records and released the Reverend Gary Davis' song "Candy Man" as a single in 1966. The single failed to chart and the band broke up soon afterwards, leaving an albums worth of unreleased material that was not issued until the early 1990s. During this period in his life, Kelley taught himself to play piano and guitar but he remained essentially a drummer.
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