Kelly was born in Lawton, Oklahoma on October 2, 1968, Willis was the youngest of three children. While her father was a U.S. Army colonel, Willis’ mother had a strong interest in music and sang and acted in amateur musicals. Willis began singing when she was nine as a way to comfort herself after her parents divorced.
==Career==
Willis joined her first band in high school. Her boyfriend, drummer Mas Palermo, introduced Willis to his rockabilly band. The band took her on as the lead vocalist and soon rechristened the band Kelly Willis & the Fireballs. After Willis’ high school graduation, the band decided to move to Austin, Texas, to participate in the vibrant Austin music scene. After a few months in Austin, however, the band broke up. Willis and Palermo, married in 1989, formed a new band called Radio Ranch. In Austin, Willis attracted the notice of several influential Texas singer-songwriters including Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett. Griffith introduced MCA producer Tony Brown to Willis. Brown was very impressed with Willis’ vocal abilities and signed her to the MCA label in 1989.
MCA embarked on a big marketing campaign to tout Willis after she recorded her first album on the label, the 1990 album ''Well Travelled Love''. MCA ensured that Willis was interviewed by several national magazines including unusual venues like ''Vogue'' and ''Mademoiselle''. Her voice appeared in the 1991 Ridley Scott-produced movie ''Thelma and Louise'', singing "Little Honey." Willis also had a small part in Tim Robbins’ 1992 film ''Bob Roberts''. Despite of all the publicity and positive reviews from most reviewers, ''Well Travelled Love'' and Willis’ subsequent albums for MCA (''Bang Bang'' in 1991 and ''Kelly Willis'' in 1993) sold modestly and received very little radio play. During this time, Willis felt uncomfortable with the way she was marketed by MCA. In 1994, MCA released Willis from her contract.
Willis continued to pursue her music career after leaving MCA. In 1996, she recorded an EP for A&M Records entitled ''Fading Fast''. However, her relationship with A&M was short-lived; after working with two major labels, Willis decided to record her next album on her own. Her efforts resulted in the 1999 album ''What I Deserve'', which Willis sold to Rykodisc after finishing the album. ''What I Deserve'' received quite a bit of press after the album’s release. It was commonly seen as Willis’ response to her history with MCA, and was uniformly praised by critics, becoming a hit for Willis.
In 2003, Willis and Bruce Robison, her husband and fellow country musician, released the record ''Happy Holidays'', a cover album of Christmas songs.
In Fall 2007, Willis released ''Translated From Love''. It was recorded at Robison's studio, Premium Recording Services, in Austin, TX. and produced by Chuck Prophet, formerly of the band Green On Red. The album is co-written by Willis, Prophet and notable songwriter Jules Shear, and includes a cover version of Iggy Pop's "Success."
In early 2008, Willis announced she would take an indefinite hiatus from live performances due to family obligations. Said Willis in a website announcement, "Being a traveling musician with four kids may not make an extremely compelling reality TV show but it is kicking my butt. I plan to continue making records. And I may do the occasional holiday show/song swap/benefit here and there.... Happy trails...until we meet again." Her winter/spring 2008 scheduled dates continued as planned until the final show May 2, 2008.
Willis has recently begun to tour outside of Texas again; first she headlined the Northern Rockies Folk Festival in Hailey, Idaho on August 7, 2010. Next up, she is scheduled to perform at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco on October 2, 2010.
==Personal life==
She is married to country singer-songwriter Bruce Robison.
Official website: http://www.kellywillis.me
Facebook fan site: http://www.facebook.com/KellyWillisRobison
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KellyWRobison
Don't Be Afraid
Kelly Willis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can show you true romance be with me don't be afraid
Don't be afraid of love give your heart what it needs
Follow what you feel you won't get hurt with me
I know most people say romance ends painfully
Leave all your fears behind I'll treat you tenderly
[ steel ]
You would be my rainbow's end come to me and stay
Don't be afraid of love give...
[ guitar ]
Don't be afraid of love give...
Kelly Willis's song Don't Be Afraid is an optimistic message about taking a chance on love. It starts off with the singer urging someone to take her love and a chance on a new romantic relationship because their life will be changed forever. She highlights the fact that she can show her partner true romance and reassures them not to be afraid of love.
In the second verse, Willis further encourages her partner to let go of their fears and follow their heart. She acknowledges that many people believe that romance leads to pain and heartbreak, but she reassures them that they won't get hurt with her. Throughout the song, she promises to treat her partner tenderly and affectionately.
Overall, Don't Be Afraid is a beautiful and inspiring song that encourages listeners to be fearless in love. It is thoughtful, tender and the perfect song to remind someone special to take a leap of faith and follow their hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
Take my love and take a chance life will never be the same
Accept my love and risk the unknown as it will change your life forever
I can show you true romance be with me don't be afraid
I can demonstrate authentic, heartfelt love if you choose to be with me, don't let fear hold you back
Don't be afraid of love give your heart what it needs
Let go of fear and allow love to fill the void in your heart
Follow what you feel you won't get hurt with me
Trust your emotions and know that I won't cause you emotional pain
I know most people say romance ends painfully
I am aware that some believe romantic relationships can have a negative ending
Leave all your fears behind I'll treat you tenderly
Abandon your apprehension as I will treat you with care and kindness
[ steel ]
Instrumental break
You would be my morning star each and every day
You would be the bright light that guides me every morning
You would be my rainbow's end come to me and stay
You would be the source of my happiness and the end of my search for love, come to me and stay
Don't be afraid of love give...
Reiterated message to not let fear constrain the expression of love
[ guitar ]
Instrumental break
Don't be afraid of love give...
Final reminder to let love take the lead over fear
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind