CLETUS KENNELLY

& LORI KELLEY

Cletus Kennelly is an award-winning songwriter whose music blends urban folk with elements of melodic pop and alternative rock. Aside from winning the Best New Artist Award from the Washington Area Music Association last year, he was also nominated for Wammie Awards in these categories: BEST DEBUT RECORDING ("Thread"), BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK VOCALIST, BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK RECORDING ("Thread"), and Best CD Design ("Thread"). He accompanies his clear, passionate vocals with both the power and the delicacy of his 12-string acoustic guitar. His songs create vivid character portraits as they explore the range of human emotions, while using phonetic phrasing and wordplay to accompany his rhythmic and percussive style of playing. Cletus' songs are highly crafted, alert and contemplative. Many of his songs have received recognition in song contests, including 2nd Place Awards in both the 1997 and 1999 Mid-Atlantic Song Contests, three 3rd Place Awards (in three music categories) in the 2000 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, and a 3rd Place Award in the 1998 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. The range of categories in which he has received awards (Folk, Pop, Modern/Alternative, AAA [Adult Album Alternative], and Rock) displays the stylistic breadth of his music. His work has brought him the honor of being selected to perform at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

Cletus will be accompanied on stage by another extraordinarilly talented singer/songwriter named Lori Kelley.

Lori's professional career began in New York City in a small band called "Main Squeeze." After schlepping around the country with her Coast Guard husband and starting a family, Lori settled in northern Virginia, and formed the trio "Twice Shy," consisting of Lori, her sister, Michelle, and brother-in-law, Butch Nielson. In 1996, they recorded their first CD, "Lori Kelley & Twice Shy - Take Action."

The Kelleys moved to Key West, Florida, and Lori quickly found herself at home in the laid-back music scene of the Keys. She became a regular entertainer at the famous watering hole, Capt. Tony's Saloon. She also recorded a solo CD, "Lori Kelley - With Love From Key West" (can you say "capitalism and tourism?")

Having returned to northern Virginia in 1999 (giving up shots of tequila for cups of espresso), Lori continues her solo acoustic performances in various locales. She, Michelle & Butch have also reformed Twice Shy. In addition to local performances, the trio is back in the studio to work on their next CD, with a release planned in 2001.