JO - ANN KELLY

 JO- ANN fué la más exigente y constante y seguramente la mejor de las intérpretes británicas de Blues. Apasionada y convencida, fiel a lo que ella consideraba un ideal musical, excelente guitarrista, Jo Ann fué por encima de todo una excelente cantante con un timbre de voz neutro y potente muy inspirado en su ídolo MEMPHIS MINNIE y los gigantes del Blues del Delta, lo que le valió en numerosas ocasiones estar lejos de la comercialidad hecho que no le importaba en lo más mínimo , desgraciadamente Jo Ann nos dejó muy joven ( 1944-1990 ) a causa de una grave enfermedad , nos dejó su música , no muy conocida en su momento , ni a día de hoy, aquñi tenéis la oportunidad de conocer un poco más a esta gran dama del Brithish Blues. 

               

                   

                         

Jo Ann Kelly (5 January 1944 — 21 October 1990) was an English blues singer and guitarist. "To many American performers", an obituarist wrote, "Jo Ann Kelly was the only British singer to earn their respect for her development of what they would be justified in thinking as 'their' genre".

Kelly was born in Streatham, South London. She and her brother, Dave, were both musicians. She appeared on two albums with Tony McPhee. Me and the Devil (1968) and I Asked for Water, She Gave Me Gasoline (1969) were both released on Liberty Records. She also appeared on two John Dummer Band albums: John Dummer Blues Band (1969) and Oobleedoobleejubilee (1973).

Canned Heat and Johnny Winter both tried to recruit Kelly, but she preferred to stay in the United Kingdom. She expanded to the European club circuit, where she worked with guitarist Pete Emery and with other bands. In the early 1980s, she was a member of the Terry Smith Blues Band.[citation needed]

In 1988, Kelly began to suffer from headaches. In 1989 she had an operation to remove a malignant brain tumour. She died in 1990, aged 46.

The latest Kelly compilation album, Blues and Gospel, is available on Blues Matters! Records.