Kelly Willis is a country music singer-songwriter noted for her clear, unad… Read Full Bio ↴Kelly Willis is a country music singer-songwriter noted for her clear, unadorned vocal style and her fresh-faced beauty. Willis’ music has been described as contemporary country, alternative country and new traditionalist.
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
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
I Don't Want To Love You
Kelly Willis Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'I Don't Want To Love You' by these artists:
Bobby Sherwood & His Orchestra All our friends keep knocking at the door They've asked me…
Cab Calloway & His Orchestra All our friends keep knocking at the door They've asked me…
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra All our friends keep knocking at the door They've asked me…
Dick Haymes All our friends keep knocking at the door They've asked me…
Sutherland Brothers Oh, it was 1948 like a Hollywood scene Everybody on the…
Taylor Mathews Pretty baby don′t you say a word You tears say everything I…
The Everly Brothers Ah, the morning after the sound of laughter Is hollow and…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Kelly Willis:
Cradle Of Love Oh baby you look tired and baby you look beat Seems…
Don't Be Afraid Take my love and take a chance life will never…
Don't Come The Cowboy (Kirsty MacColl) Some boys with warm beds and cold, cold he…
Don't Know Why History runs pretty deep with you and me There were times…
Drive South (John Hiatt) I didn't say we wouldn't hurt anyone That's ho…
Easy I want my mind to pull me through Up until now…
Fading Fast If I ran so far that my life can't follow…
Find Another Fool (Marcia Ball) Now we're down to saying our goodbyes And you…
Get Real Get real this ain't the way we used to feel What…
Getting to Me Redemption is all I really need Cause I've been living like…
Got a Feelin' for Ya I might bark at you and get a little loud Embarrass…
Happy With That It's no good to lose heart, it's no good to…
Heaven Bound Electricity roared but you looked so bored on the line Nobod…
Heaven's Just A Sin Away Heaven's just a sin away Oh, oh, just a sin away I…
Hidden Things Well I don’t need a man to flatter me with…
Hole In My Heart Don't understand why I don't love you No one could ask…
I I never thought it would end this way We swore our…
I Know Better Know Oh I must have left some stones unturned or could…
I'm Just Lonely Well I took those vows to prove my love was…
If I Left You If I left you I wouldn't stay gone so long If I…
Little Honey Little honey, are you goin' out tonight? Little honey, I ai…
Looking For Someone Like You I've been around from town to town I've seen a thing…
Losing You The days pass by in slow motion Starts to rain that…
Loving You The days pass by in slow motion Starts to rain that…
My Heart's In Trouble Tonight Well I didn't come here tonight looking to talk to…
Nobody Wants To Go To The Moon Anymore Nobody Wants to Go to the Moon Anymore I don't…
Not Forgotten Came home a little early last night shed not a…
Not Long for This World We're not long for this world We're not long for this…
Not What I Had in Mind Chorus It's not what I had in mind Loving you now that…
One More Night I never thought it would end this way We swore our…
One More Time One more time before you break my heart, dear Won't you…
Reason To Believe Now my dreams can all come true, And now my life…
Red Sunset We used to catch that old train every night about…
River Of Love Well you can test the water now it ain't no…
Shadows Of Love The fever of our secret has set in Can't you see…
Sincerely I could tell you I came by to say hello But…
Success Here comes success Here comes success Over my hill Over my h…
Sweet Little One Sweet little one, you are so blue Just let my love…
Sweet Sundown How did you compete with such a tragic week How on…
Take It All Out On You You better look out you're gonna get it I'm gettin'…
Take Me Down I don't believe a word you're saying And I know the…
Talk Like That Talk like that Well I don't know where you're from But oh…
Teddy Boys I'm a man in the rain Here they come now, Teddy…
That'll Be Me Sometimes in the middle of the night I reach for…
The More That I'm Around You Kelly Willis Translated From Love The More That I'm Around Y…
They're Blind The demands made upon you are hard to live up…
Time Has Told Me The time has told me You're rare, rare to find A troubled…
Too Much To Ask There ain’t a lot that you can do to change…
Translated From Love There?s no admittance beyond this point Unless you're gonna…
Up All Night The sun is breaking on a new day You'd be with…
Wait Until Dark The stars will be Fading soon We're losing our love With the…
We're All the Way There's no cause to think that I won't stay Haven't I…
Well Travelled Love Well when we started out on this trip a short…
What Did You Think (Bruce Robison) What did you think that I've been waiting f…
What I Deserve What I deserve is comfort for my shaken soul And the…
What I Deserve ) What I deserve is comfort for my shaken soul And the…
What Would You Think (Bruce Robison) What did you think that I've been waiting f…
Whatever Way The Wind Blows Well from now on I'm gonna do what's right Been thinking…
When My Baby's Beside Me Don't need to talk to my doctor Don't need to talk…
World Without You I I cry alone in the night now that you're…
Wrapped I didn't have to turn my head whenever you walked…
You Can't Take It With You You might have a happy family, nice house, fine car You…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Michael Smith
Kelly never got big on radio, and I have no idea why--I've seen her pack clubs many times over twenty years--sadly you must have radio hits before your name gets big--she is truly one of the best singers we'll ever see
1965 Albertan
Saw her live in a small bar in Corpus Christi in the early 90s. Agree entirely.
Michael Dark
I believe it was Kelly's choice NOT TO MAKE IT BIG !
King Possum
Making it on radio has always been about music politics. Getting hit songs and albums have always been about music politics.
Very little in country music has been about talent, though lots of talented people have made it big. Kelly has always deserved more in country music than she's gotten
Richard Laino
I Agree, the 1st time I saw her in Austin I was hooked
James Crawley
She's got such a true country voice. Love her.
Aiden Bear
Son of a biscuit what a great song it’s to bad that country music don’t sound like this anymore
Michael six
love this song, Kelly has such pretty eyes and hair--stunning lady
RedwoodGeorge
One of those rare, classic, pure country music voices. Perfect pitch, perfect twang :-)
The Lake Man
This is how country was done in the 90's ! Real country, not what they're trying to pass off as country today. Boy, I miss this stuff.