Paul Kelly

One of the most respected and revered names in the Australian music industry, Paul Kelly is a true veteran. 27 studio albums down, his output and quality has rarely wavered. Known best for his unique storytelling ability, Kelly was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2017 for distinguished service to the performing arts.

Kelly has performed with numerous backing bands throughout his career – beginning with The Dots, he then went solo before acquiring a new backing band, The Coloured Girls (later to be renamed The Messengers). Future releases were again under the Kelly solo name, but this didn’t stop the prolific songwriter from collaborating with other existing bands and artists – Uncle Bill, The Stormwater Boys, Neil Finn, and Charlie Owen. He also participated in acts such as Professor Ratbaggy and Stardust Five, who each have one release to their name.

Despite the reverence and acclaim for Kelly throughout his career, it took until 2017 for the Adelaide native to achieve his first #1 album on the national charts, for his ARIA Award-winning record Life Is Fine.