Patricia Kelly comes from a well-known musical family, the Kelly Family. Life in the extended family, playing music together on the streets of Europe to survive, and then the huge success with record contracts and sold-out stadiums, shaped Particia’s life. Then there were strokes of fate, illnesses, crises. Patricia Kelly is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, power woman in business and ambassador for various foundations. With her life story and her friendly and authentic manner, she is an inspiration and motivation for your audience.

Patricia Kelly Lecture Topics

• The Dream & Hard Work: From street musician in the Paris Metro to full stadiums in Europe
• Disruptive Digitalization: The Music Industry – Turning a Challenge into an Opportunity
• Resilience, Courage & Motivation – Successfully overcoming crises after meningitis & cancer
• Plan B – Know what you want and fight for it
• Creativity & Performance – What can companies learn from successful artists?

The success story of the Kelly Family

Patricia Kelly comes from a family of musicians. Her great-grandfather emigrated from Ireland to the USA with a violin at the end of the 19th century and Dan Kelly, father of the family, studied philosophy and theology in Rome in the 1950s. He becomes a teacher and later runs a transatlantic antiques business. Dan Kelly marries the ballerina Barbara Ann. They move with their children from the USA to a small Spanish village without TV, radio, electricity or running water. running water. They live a simple life and play music in front of the campfire in the evenings. Dan and Barbara Ann Kelly raise 12 children.

One day Dan Kelly takes his children to Rome to show them the beautiful city. They park in front of the Colosseum and when they return to their VW bus, everything is stolen from it except their musical instruments. Out of necessity, they start singing in the streets of Rome and learn that people love this family and their music. They decide to travel Europe and make a living playing music. They travel to Venice, Vienna, Zurich, Munich, Paris, London, Dublin and many other cities. During this time, an old London double-decker bus is their home, later followed by a real boat.

At the end of the 70s, the Kelly Family is discovered by a music producer from Polydor and sign their first record contract. Overnight they become a huge success in Central Europe. With their albums they reach the first place in the charts. But strokes of fate overshadow the happiness of the Kelly Family: mother Barbara falls ill with breast cancer, whereupon the family stops singing and goes back to Spain. A year later, in 1982, she dies. Hard times for the family. No money is left. They travel to Paris and sing in the Metro in winter to earn a living.

They are discovered by Eddie Barclay, a legend of French show business (he owns publishing rights of Edith Piaf & Jacques Brel, among others). In the middle of the 90’s the big breakthrough in Central Europe succeeds. With the album “Over The Hump” (1994) and subsequent albums they break all records. “The Kelly Family” sells more than 20 million records and gets 40 Platinum and Golden records. They win all the prizes that in Germany (Echo, Bambi…). In 1996 The Kelly Family fills stadiums in Europe. In Vienna they break the record and play in front of 250,000 people at the Donauinselfest 1995.

“Over The Hump” is still number 7 of the best-selling albums in Germany and has sold more than 3 million copies (By comparison, “The Wall” by Pink Floyd sold 2 million copies in Germany). One of the biggest hits of the album “Over The Hump” is the song “First Time”, written by Patricia Kelly. “First Time” becomes the most successful single of the leading teen magazine BRAVO and the hit of the year 1995. From 1989. Patricia is Dan Kelly’s right hand in all management and business matters, parallel to the music activities.

The American show business becomes aware of The Kelly Family. Offers follow from the William Morris Agency, major record companies and Walt Disney, who want to make a movie about the family. The family receives invitations from all over the world: Japan, China… After years of hard work, the family decides to take a break.

The individual Kellys get married, become parents and devote themselves to their own solo projects. Patricia marries in 2001 and with her husband has two sons, born in 2001 and 2003. She works with excellent jazz musicians, tours and develops her own sound (crossover of folk, pop, soul and singer-songwriter).

In 2017, The Kelly Family reunites and makes a huge comeback. The new album “We Got Love” shoots straight to #1 and goes triple platinum in Germany and other European countries. So far it has sold 700,000 copies. The first arena concerts in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle are sold out within minutes. The following “We Got Love” – Arena Tour is also sold out and more than 400’000 people in 7 countries have seen The Kelly Family live. The Kelly Family is bigger than ever and the saga continues. Another arena tour and open airs will follow in 2019/2020 with 49 concerts in 7 countries: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Netherlands and Belgium.

Patricia Kelly landed on the Spiegel bestseller list with her biography. She is one of the CEOs of the Kelly Family and very successful as a female businesswoman. Patricia Kelly is ambassador for the German Stroke Foundation, Missio and the Breast Cancer Foundation e.V. Prognose Leben.