The Kelly Family is a German music group comprised of a multi-generational family (Kathy, John, Patricia, Jimmy, Joey, Barby, Paddy, Maite and Angelo), that has enjoyed considerable chart and concert success in Europe and other parts of the world, especially in Germany, the Benelux countries, East Europe, Spain and Portugal. They have sold over 20 million albums since the early 1980s. For many years, the group presented a unique gypsy image and a vagabonding lifestyle. This was emphasised by their 'ethnic' clothing (such as long floral skirts worn by the female band members), their hair (very long hair even on all the male band members), and also by their travels around Europe in a double-decker bus and houseboat. In recent years, however, they have presented a more modern look.
Background
The group had its origins in 1966 when Americans Barbara and Daniel Kelly and their four children moved from the USA to Spain, where they would sing at parties and local events. They became well-known enough that they appeared on Spanish television in 1975 [1]. After several years of busking, they landed a record contract in Germany in 1977. Their first major chart hit came in 1980 with the song "Who'll Come With Me (David's Song)" which hit number 1 in the Netherlands and Belgium and was top 20 in Germany. After the death of the mother Barbara Kelly in 1981 and the stroke suffered by father Daniel Kelly in 1990, the children (by this point partly grown ups), continued recording and performing on their own, although the father remained the leading figure. More and more people came to listen to their music which they were presenting in the streets. In the 1990s, the group would enjoy their biggest successes to date. Their 1994 album Over the Hump sold more than 3.5 million copies in Germany alone (the biggest selling album in Germany in history), and 4.5 million in Europe. To promote the album, they played a concert to a Vienna audience of 250,000, in 1995. In the same year they filled the Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, nine times in a row, a feat no other musician has since accomplished. In 1996 they headlined their first Stadium Tour, filling some of Europe's largest venues. They also got a rare chance to play in Beijing, China, in front of 20,000 people. Success continued until they started to disagree on a professional basis at the beginning of the year 2000. Fan interest prompted a comeback with gigs in Germany in 2007. The family's main residence is at Schloss Gymnich in Germany. Family members are living in Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Belgium and the United States.
