 |
Kelly Keagy | |
|---|---|
 Keagy in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | September 15, 1952 Eugene, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, vocals |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Member of | Night Ranger |
| Formerly of | The Mob |
Kelly Dean Keagy (born September 15, 1952) is an American drummer and vocalist, best known for his work with the hard rock band Night Ranger. [1] Keagy sang lead vocals on several of their hits, such as "Sister Christian", "Sing Me Away", and "Sentimental Street".
Keagy started out his career as a drummer but over the years gained experience in many aspects of the music business. The day after Kelly graduated high school, he packed his bags and left home to pursue being a full-time drummer. After years of playing the club circuit, he became the touring drummer for the San Francisco band Rubicon. Along with fellow members Jack Blades and Brad Gillis, he formed the band Night Ranger in 1979. [2]
After the band gained some experience with local gigs in San Francisco, promoter Bill Graham booked Night Ranger as the opening act for such bands as Judas Priest, Santana, and the Doobie Brothers. They became one of the more popular mainstream hard rock bands of the mid-1980s. Night Ranger's first album, Dawn Patrol , released in 1982, reached No. 38 on the U.S. charts and sold over 1 million copies, yet it was 1983's Midnight Madness that established the band as a commercial force. Featuring the hits "(You Can Still) Rock in America" and "Sister Christian", the record peaked at No. 15 and sold over 2 million copies. The 1985 album 7 Wishes was even more successful, reaching No. 10 on the charts and selling over 3 million copies. In 1988, keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald left Night Ranger, shortly after the recording of Man in Motion . Then, in 1989, after the Man in Motion tour, front man Jack Blades left Night Ranger, with the group disbanding.
In 1991, Night Ranger reformed with Gary Moon replacing Jack Blades on bass and lead vocals. Then in 1996, the classic Night Ranger lineup of Jack Blades/Kelly Keagy/Brad Gillis/Jeff Watson/Alan Fitzgerald reunited. Fitzgerald departed in 2003, and Watson in 2007.
As of 2017, Night Ranger continues to tour and record new music with the current lineup of Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, Brad Gillis, Kerri Kelli and Eric Levy. Their most recent studio release, Don't Let Up , came out in 2017.
In 2005, Keagy joined guitarist Reb Beach, vocalist Doug Pinnick and keyboardist Timothy Drury to form the group the Mob. They released a self-titled album of the same name.
In 2000, he performed on Jim Peterik's album Jim Peterik and the World Stage. In 2001, Keagy released the first of his two solo albums, performing drums and vocals on Time Passes . In 2007, he released his second solo work, I'm Alive . Keagy is a core member of the band Scrap Metal, along with Mark Slaughter and Gunnar Nelson. [3]
Keagy currently plays DW drums and pedals, Evans drumheads, Vic Firth signature drumsticks, and Sabian cymbals, mostly using their HH series. [4]
Night Ranger is an American hard rock band from San Francisco formed in 1979 that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. Guitarist Brad Gillis and drummer Kelly Keagy have been the band's only constant members, though bassist Jack Blades performed on all but one of their albums. Other current members of the band include guitarist Keri Kelli and keyboardist Eric Levy.
Jack Martin Blades is an American rock musician. He has worked in the bands Rubicon, Night Ranger, and Damn Yankees. He has also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw Blades, and has done work alongside the Tak Matsumoto Group. Blades' most recent efforts include a second solo CD. He was also a member of the band Revolution Saints.
"Sister Christian" is a power ballad by the American hard rock band Night Ranger. It was released in March 1984 as the second single from their album Midnight Madness. It was ranked No. 32 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s. It was written and sung by the band's drummer, Kelly Keagy, for his sister. It was the band's biggest hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and staying on the charts for 24 weeks. It also reached No. 1 in Canada. The song is used in several films, including Boogie Nights (1997), Superstar (1999), Friday the 13th (2009) and Ben Affleck's 2023 film Air (2023).
Midnight Madness is the second studio album by American rock band Night Ranger, released in October 1983 by MCA Records. The album produced three charting singles and contains the band's best known hit, "Sister Christian." It remains their highest selling album at over a million copies sold in the US.
Rubicon was a California funk rock band, whose "I'm Gonna Take Care of Everything" spent 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978, peaking at number 28.
Dawn Patrol is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Night Ranger, released in November 1982 by Neil Bogart's The Boardwalk Entertainment Co. The cover art of the album features dishes of the Very Large Array in central New Mexico.
Bradley Frank Gillis is a guitarist most famous for playing with the band Night Ranger. He grew up in Alameda, California. He was in the band Rubicon during the 1970s before Night Ranger. Since forming in 1979, Gillis and drummer Kelly Keagy are the only members to have appeared in every incarnation of the band and all studio releases. However, Keagy missed several shows for the first time in 2017. On Saturday, 8 May 2021, Gillis was absent from a Night Ranger show for the first time in the band's history. He has also played for Ozzy Osbourne and Fiona, and has released solo albums. Gillis's musical side projects include placing over 300 songs for ESPN's Sports Center, The X Games, Fox Sports, Tiger Woods Sony PlayStation Games, EA Sports, The Fuse Channel and many others. He has appeared in over a dozen music videos, with TV performances on American Bandstand, Solid Gold, Rock & Roll Tonight and thousands of live concerts. He also participated in the one-time collaboration, Hear 'n Aid, for the promotional single, "Stars," which helped raise $1 million for famine relief in Africa. He was one of several lead guitarists to contribute guitar solos for the cause, including Vivian Campbell, Buck Dharma, and Neal Schon. His first solo album Gilrock Ranch produced a top twenty single, "Honest to God", which was co-written and sung by Gregg Allman.
Time Passes is the debut solo album by Kelly Keagy.
Big Life is the fourth studio album by Night Ranger, released in March 1987. It featured the single "The Secret of My Success", which was written for the 1987 film of the same name starring Michael J. Fox. The single flopped, stalling outside the Top 40, peaking at No. 64. It was a top twenty hit on the Mainstream Rock Chart though, hitting number 12, and was one of the most played videos in the spring of 1987 on MTV. "Hearts Away" was the second single/video and peaked at No. 90 on the Hot 100 chart. The third single/video, "Color of Your Smile" failed to chart in the U.S. at all.
I'm Alive is a solo album released by Night Ranger's drummer Kelly Keagy. Released in 2007 on Frontiers Records, it features Jim Peterik, Reb Beach, and Michael Lardie.
"(You Can Still) Rock in America" is a song written by Jack Blades and Brad Gillis, and the first single released from Night Ranger's 1983 album Midnight Madness. Former Deep Purple and Black Sabbath singer Glenn Hughes contribute backing vocals on the song.
"When You Close Your Eyes" is a song by American rock band Night Ranger from their 1983 album Midnight Madness.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album released by Night Ranger in 1989. It included tracks from each of the band's first five studio albums. In 1994, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments of half a million copies to U.S. retailers.
Somewhere in California is the tenth studio album by American hard rock band Night Ranger, released on June 21, 2011. It is the first album since the departure of original guitarist Jeff Watson in 2007. The album introduces new guitarist Joel Hoekstra and keyboardist Eric Levy. Although the previous three releases are regarded as different and more experimental for Night Ranger, this album has been noted as somewhat of a return to the signature Night Ranger sound from the successful 1980s releases. The first single and video from the album is "Growin' Up in California".
High Road is the eleventh studio album by American hard rock band Night Ranger, released on June 10, 2014. It peaked at No. 105 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, No. 31 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, and No. 9 on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart, all on June 28, 2014.
Don't Let Up is the twelfth studio album by American hard rock band Night Ranger, released on March 24, 2017. It peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart on June 15, 2017. It is the first Night Ranger studio album to feature Keri Kelli on guitar, who replaced Joel Hoekstra after he left to join Whitesnake.
Night Ranger is an American hard rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979 by Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy and Brad Gillis. A year later Alan Fitzgerald and Jeff Watson joined completing their original lineup. Their discography consists of 13 studio albums, nine live albums, six compilation albums and 16 singles.
Man in Motion is the fifth studio album by Night Ranger, released in 1988. This album was the first studio album recorded by Night Ranger after the departure of keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, who was replaced by Jesse Bradman.
ATBPO is the 13th studio album by American hard rock band Night Ranger, released in August 2021 by Frontiers Music. "ATBPO" is an acronym for the old saying, "And the Band Played On".
