Kevin Kelley (musician)

Kevin Kelley
Birth nameKevin Daniel Kelley
Born(1943-03-25)March 25, 1943
Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
DiedApril 6, 2002(2002-04-06) (aged 59)
Hollywood
GenresRock, country rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentDrums
Years active1965–1973
LabelsColumbia, Ampex

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.[1] Kelley also played drums for Fever Tree, although it is unknown whether he was an official member of the group or not.[1] Kelley is the cousin of country rock pioneer and ex-member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman.[1][2]

He also worked as a session musician between 1969 and 1973, playing drums on albums by artists including John Fahey and Phil Ochs.[1][3][4] He appears to have retired from the music industry after drumming on Michael Cohen's 1973 album, What Did You Expect?[4]

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, Judee Sill, Bryn Haworth, and The Babys during the 1970s.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d "Kevin Kelley Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  2. ^ "Interview with Chris Hillman". Richieunterberger.com. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  3. ^ Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. p. 189. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
  4. ^ a b "Discography of Kevin Kelley". Byrds Flyght. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  5. ^ Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 577–578. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.