Australian rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Paul Maurice Kelly AO. He has led many groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers, in addition to performing solo. He has collaborated with a variety of musicians and ensembles, including the bands Professor Ratbaggy and Stardust Five. Kelly's music has a wide range of influences, from bluegrass to studio-oriented dub reggae, but his main style crosses folk, rock, and country. His lyrics, which have been charting his life for more than 30 years, encapsulate the diversity of Australian culture and scenery. Kelly has said, "Song writing is enigmatic to me. I still feel like a total beginner. I don't feel like I have got it nailed yet." David Fricke of Rolling Stone says Kelly "one of the finest composers I have ever heard, Australian or elsewhere."
Paul Kelly