Peck Kelley

Infobox musical artist
Name = Peck Kelley

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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = John Dickson Kelley
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Born = Birth date|1898|10|22
Died = death date and age|1980|12|26|1898|10|22
Origin = flagicon|USAHouston, Texas, United States
Instrument = Piano
Voice_type =
Genre = Jazz
Occupation = Pianist
Bandleader
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Label = Arcadia Records
Associated_acts = Jack Teagarden
Louis Prima
Pee Wee Russell
URL =
Current_members =
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John Dickson "Peck" Kelley (22 October 1898–26 December 1980) was an American jazz pianist born in Houston, Texas. Kelley was best known for his 1920s band "Peck's Bad Boys", which included Jack Teagarden and Pee Wee Russell, among others.

Early life

John Dickson "Peck" Kelley was born in Houston, Texas on October 22, 1898.cite book| last = Yanow| first = Scott| authorlink = Scott Yanow| title = Classic Jazz| publisher = Backbeat Books| date = 2001| page = pp. 127| doi = | isbn = 0879306599]

Career

Kelley rarely played anywhere outside of Texas. Early in his career he did perform in Missouri and Louisiana, but the politics of the worker's union at the time combined with the overall hassle of obtaining permits prompted him to return to Texas.

Peck's Bad Boys

During the 1920s Kelley was a popular bandleader who led his own band, Peck's Bad Boys. The group included several jazz musicians that would go on to forge successful recording careers of their own, players like Jack Teagarden, Louis Prima, Terry Shand, Wingy Manone, Leon Roppolo and Pee Wee Russell. Despite the apparent success of this group, no recordings survive from this period.cite book| last = Koster| first = Rick| authorlink = | title = Texas Music| publisher = St. Martin's Press| date = 2000| page = p. 309| doi = | isbn = 0312254253] cite book| last = Yanow| first = Scott| authorlink = Scott Yanow| title = Trumpet Kings: The Players Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz Trumpet | publisher = Backbeat Books| date = 2001| page = p. 240| doi = | isbn = 0879306084] cite book| last = Walker| first = Leo| authorlink = | title = The Big Band Almanac | publisher = Da Capo Press| date = 1989| page = p. 393| doi = | isbn = 0306803453]

Throughout his career he repeatedly turned down offers by other musicians of the day to play outside of Texas, offers from artists such as Bing Crosby, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey and Paul Whiteman. However, he did perform in St. Louis, Missouri (1925), Shreveport, Louisiana (1927) and New Orleans, Louisiana (1934). Kelley joined the Dick Shannon quartet in 1957, from which the only studio recordings from this musician have survived. They were released by Commodore Records in 1983 as the "Peck Kelley Jam Sessions, Volumes 1 & 2". However, some private recordings of this same period have been released on the Arkadia record label.

Personal life

Throughout his career Kelley wished to remain anonymous, a private man who did not wish fame for himself. It is commonly accepted by jazz historians that the 1930s Will Bradley hit "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" is in reference and tribute to Kelley. Eventually Peck became blind and developed Parkinson's Disease, dying on December 26, 1980 at 82.

Discography

References