James Kelly
In 2006, James Kelly received Irish music's highest honor, the Gradam Ceoil TG4 2006 Irish Musician of the Year Award (TG4 is Ireland's Irish-language TV station).
One of the best Irish traditional fiddlers alive today, he learned his music from his father, John Kelly, the renowned fiddle and concertina player from Co. Clare.
James won first place in the prestigious Fiddler of the Year competition in Ireland at just age 16 and soon afterwards recorded his first album, a duet with his brother John. He went on to join the group Ceoltoiri Leigheann (Leinster Musicians), which included his father, and such stellar musicians as Paddy O'Brien, Mary Bergin and Paddy Glackin, and recorded two albums with the group before emigrating to America in 1978.
As a solo artist and a member of such influential groups as Kinvara, Bowhand, Patrick Street and the legendary folk group Plansty,
James soon became widely known in the U.S. even as he continued to tour in Europe, Canada and South America.
He was was a presenter of the "Pure Drop" series for Irish television, appeared with The Chieftains, recorded with The Bee Gees and was a regular guest on Garrison Keillor's national radio show "A Prairie Home Companion."
With 18 albums to his credit, including his recently released third solo CD, Melodic Journeys, James, who currently resides in Miami, also teaches the fiddle to students all over the world via the internet and holds regular workshops in U.S., Canada and Europe.
He continues to play concerts and festivals with some of Irish music's leading accompanists, and is a regular at all the major American music festivals, including the Philadelphia Folk Festival and the Milwaukee Irish Festival.
In recent years he received the Florida Folk Heritage Award as well as the Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in Folk Arts Award.
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