We can’t tell where Kelly Ray Davis is more popular, in Huntington, West Virginia where he calls home, or here in Nashville. Either way, his popularity has been nothing short of explosive.
Together with guitarist/co-singer Rodney Crisp, Bassist Bill Fraley, and drummer Greg Fletcher, Kelly came to town to play the Supercell of Giving benefit concert for the Red Cross. To put it mildly, when he got up to play, the place went wild.
His sound is a mix of all the best elements of country, rock, southern rock, and even bluegrass. The fusion of all those musical influences allows Kelly to do something that others only say they do – create his own unique sound. He can go from the most traditional country you’ve ever heard, to the hardest rocking country you never thought you’d hear.
At the benefit his musical prowess was on display as he brought the crowd to it’s feet. Even the local news report had shots of girls dancing and people having fun while he was on stage tearing it up. He’s a star on stage. He has the “x” factor that so many in the industry talk about an artist needing.
This last year we’ve watched as Kelly went from ‘just another artist’ making trips to Nashville, to being a well known published songwriter, all over town (Kelly is signed to Mike Kinnemon/Music Central Publishing). From doing shows and playing songs with Musik Mafia players like Shannon Lawson and James Otto, to writing songs with mega hit songwriter Larry Cordle, to having one of his own songs cut by Grammy winner Randy Kohrs, Kelly is on fire here in Nashville. And it’s only going to get better as now the labels are staring to take notice of what he has going on. And I’ve said it before, they’d be stupid not to.
In his home town and in other parts of the country, he’s no less a star. He’s had no less than two front page newspaper articles written about him in the last couple of weeks, a feature slot in the entertainment section of another paper, and two radio interviews. In addition to this, Kelly regularly draws 300 or more people at his shows, and before one of the larger venues closed, was packing in 700-800 week after week for over a year.
Besides his talent, something else sets Kelly apart. He is who he was before this eventual rise to the top began. He’s down to earth, humble, and fun to be around. And he really cares for other people. For the Supercell Benefit, he didn’t care when he played or if he played, he only wanted to help the families that lost so much because of the tornadoes. Every newspaper and radio interview I mentioned him doing really wasn’t about him – he wouldn’t let it be. It was about those families, the Red Cross, and the benefit. That’s true class.
Given half a chance, Kelly Ray Davis will rule the world.
Aaron Tippin and Kelly Ray Davis at the Supercell Benefit
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