Rory Kelly's Triple Threat

Rory Kelly Bio RORY KELLY – Guitar / Lead Vocals DEREK M POTEAT - Bass MIKE KELLY-Drums Call forth Rory Kelly's name on Pandora Radio and you'll find him mixed into the company of artists that range from ZZ Top to Motorhead. Blame it on the heady highs in the air that permeates the Black Mountains of North Carolina, but the state has produced an artist in Rory Kelly that's bringing new dimension to the tour de force that is America’s beloved Southern Rock. A player in league with prodigies, Kelly is a self-taught musician that picked up the guitar as a boy and cut his chops in the rural town of Marion. Rory strummed alongside his father, drummer Mike Kelly, in a family dominated house band in a local music dive. Playing first with heavy metal outfit Intethod and later by Asheville based sleaze masters, the Crank County Daredevils, who found success both in the US and abroad; Kelly developed a keen ear, and playing ability to match, for what would develop into an ever widening spectrum of rock n roll sensibilities. In 2011 Kelly branched out to hone his own blues based signature sound and recruited his former music partner and #1 dad, Mike, to form two-thirds of what would ultimately become the RORY KELLY band. Their first release, GET ME BACK TO YOU, was tagged by critics as "swamp rock" and got the attention of promoters in Austin, TX that ultimately offered Kelly a coveted series of showcases during the world famous South By Southwest music conference. Those showcases brought Kelly interest from endorsement companies. Kelly found himself first embraced as a solo artist by the Southern biker circuit and that launched a two year wave of touring throughout the Southeastern part of the U.S. He recruited Billy Miller, a seasoned musician from touring gigs with Voodou and Super Sport, as bassist, and Billy Miller formed a mercurial rhythm section to compliment the smoldering swagger of the guitarists' rock riffs. Ultimately this set the tone for the definition of what Southern Rock means to Kelly and crew. The ever evolving sound was captured in the band's second record, DON'T SHAKE MY FAMILY TREE, released to world-wide distribution in the fall of 2012. The CD, and the first video in support of it, landed the band a European booking deal along with reviews that heralded the guitar slayer as both a solid up and coming recording artist to watch and an incredible live performer. A successful tour followed that exposed audiences in the Southern region of that continent to the fire and swank of Kelly's grooves and live shows. He brought the band back to the States where, through ties to rock's notorious Old Bridge Militia scene, they began working East Coast venues into their established Southern state touring routes. Staying true to audiences in those areas has turned the musically diverse Kelly into a favored son in the region...a status that has landed him headlining slots at festivals ranging from the Blue Ridge Blues Crawl in Georgia to the Hot Springs Rally and Bele Chere in Asheville where he and his family band rock crowds of thousands. An artist that thrives at a hectic pace, Kelly is already directing his feverish energy towards the band's third release and finds himself currently collaborating with renowned studio engineer, Jack Mascari, on their latest endeavor, KINGS NEVER SLEEP. Tentatively scheduled for a 2014 release, plans are already in the works for a late-spring return to Europe in support of the new record as well as multiple touring runs that will take the band from Texas to the East, and possibly beyond, showcasing a true trail-blazing artist. 2017 has brought a brand new vibe and a bass player into the fold, Derek Poteat. In 2012 Derek toured Europe solo and released his first solo recording. Derek has four solo recordings, with the last one "Lobotomy", released in 2016. Derek joined The Rory Kelly band after a chance meeting at a grocery store. Knowing each other for years but having never played together, the timing was right for Derek to join Rory's band and to bring his distinct bass style. Rory Kelly is a Rock-n-Roll band