Bert Kelly | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Meet_Me_at_the_Green_Goose_Deary.jpg) Bert Kelly and the members of his jazz band in 1918 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | June 2, 1882 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States |
| Died | January 1968 (aged 85–86) Long Beach, New York, United States |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader |
| Instrument | Banjo |
Bert Kelly (June 2, 1882 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – January 1968 in Long Beach, New York) was an American musician, who pioneered jazz as a banjoist, bandleader, educator, promoter, night club owner, and night club operator. After professional stints in Seattle and San Francisco, Kelly moved to Chicago in 1914 where he flourished a banjoist, bandleader, and promoter. In 1915 — before the U.S. prohibition — he founded and operated a Chicago speakeasy called "Bert Kelly's Stables," where patrons were introduced to early jazz.