ARTHUR " Guitar " KELLY
Photo by Folklife in Louisiana
b. 14 November 1924, Clinton, Louisiana, USA, d. 17 September 2001. Like many blues singers, Kelly learned to play religious songs first, but his main interest was in the blues. In the 40s, he was living near Baton Rouge and beginning to develop his own guitar style, under the influence of local artist Lightning Slim, as well as copying records by artists such as Muddy Waters and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Although active on the blues scene through the boom in Baton Rouge blues in the 50s, he never made any records during this time. In the 60s, he formed a small group along with Silas Hogan and at last in 1970, he appeared on a couple of albums of Louisiana blues artists, as well as a single on Excello. He continued his partnership with Hogan for many years, and joined that artist in his residency at Tabby Thomas’ Blues Box club, but he also toured widely, including visits to Europe.
Also with Hogan
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