Another Kelly-Klassic – Listening To The Wind ( Merle Haggard ) – by Des Kelly Not too many people did know that Merle Haggard, the ‘Late Master’ of Country Music, had an older brother named Fran and the two siblings had ‘fallen-out’ for reasons unknown, but Fran had passed-on, and around a year later Merle decided to write and dedicate this song to his older brother and “Listening to the wind” was then privately recorded and, being a M.H.song, sung with so much feeling, it makes one wonder why siblings fall out at all. Please listen to, and enjoy yet another Kelly-Klassic, which it certainly is.  Desmond Kelly. (Mr.Music) (Editor-in-Chief).  e’Lanka. ...

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Kelly Klassic -“AGREE TO DISAGREE” –   By Des Kelly With the coming of Christmas 2022 my “Kelly-Klassic” is something very different, because I love the song performed by the Bellamy Brothers of Canada, supported by another Canadian, I suppose, John Anderson, also a great Vocalist. It is the title of their song, that I immediately agree to disagree with “NO Country-Music for old Men”. You see folks, I AM an old man, hoping to make it to 4 score+7 next year, and my firm belief is that good Music, especially good Country Music, will ALWAYS be around for EVERYONE, old & young alike. So, personally wishing my good friend Neil Jayasekera, his family, all e’Lanka staff, both in Australia & Sri Lanka, and more than 25,000 Members & Readers of our Website around the Globe, a most happy Christmas, & equally happy New Year for 2023, as your Editor, I ...

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“IN DEDICATION” – By Des Kelly “This is a very special dedication to my dad, Carlo Kelly, who left Ceylon like so many others to come to Australia to battle on, despite the fact that he was 52 and found it very difficult to find  what was then termed a “blue-collar” or office job, even though he had been a bank-clerk at the Mercantile Bank in Colombo for many years, expert in banking services with ‘writing’ straight out of a text-book. He still continued to work in Melbourne & took on any laborious task offered,  because, like me, later on, he hated the word ‘dole’. Also, like me, my dad, who sadly passed away at 79, loved Country Music & Don Williams was one of his favourites. I would have loved it if he could have watched this with me, but I feel certain that he knows that I have ...

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“IT’S SUPPERTIME” “Bill Anderson sings a classic Jimmie Davis gospel song” –by Des Kelly  He is known World-wide as Whispering Bill Anderson, one of the most unassuming Country Music Stars that America has ever produced. A song-writer, guitarist, Vocalist albeit soft, & meaningful, Bill turns 85 this year and, from the 1960’s started to prove himself as one of the best in the business, finally winning entry into EVERY  Country Music Hall Of Fame, possible. He wrote songs for not only himself, but for umpteen other Country Stars who have always been grateful to him. They include a guy who is absolutely superb in every song he sings, Gene Watson, and we Country Music fanatics are lucky indeed to still be able to enjoy these ‘Legends’ first-hand. What I like and admire Bill Anderson about, is the fact that he is still so very humble and unassuming about everything he does, and ...

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“Kelly Klassic” Borrowed Angel – by Des Kelly Written and recorded in 1972 by Mel.Street, we now have a positive reason as to why Country Music will never die. Singing this song that tells a story, that happens all around the World, a youngster in Country Music, by the name of Mo Pitney, comes clean on his Borrowed Angel. Pitney was a keen follower of Stars such as Merle Haggard and George Jones, and, like them, vocalises brilliantly, where every lyric can be heard very clearly. Like other members of e’Lanka, who do enjoy this type of music, all I can say, is “Lets go, with Mo Pitney”. Desmond Kelly. (Editor-in-Chief) e’ Lanka.  ...

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“COUNTRY MUSIC” – By Des Kelly   This is something extra-special for all my readers/members of e’Lanka As almost everyone knows, my love for Music has been with me for almost 85 years now. I was born into music, as both Mum and Dad were musically minded, with Mum actually having won prizes for singing and entertaining her young school-friends.            While I enjoy all good music, my forte’ has always been Country Music. ...

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“STORMS NEVER LAST” – By Des Kelly  Once in a way, a song grabs my attention to the extent that I feel I just have to share it with all of our eLanka  members, around the World. Many will have already heard this beautiful Country song, written by an equally beautiful songstress, songwriter, and pianist, Jessie Colter, dedicated to her famous Country Icon husband Waylon Jennings, God rest his soul.            I consider myself a Country Music fanatic, and have seen this great couple Jessie & Waylon sing this song on stage, together, with this Country “Outlaw” Waylon publicly showing his love for his beautiful wife, even as they sang.  I loved their version of the song           Then, out of the blue, so to speak, I suddenly watched another version of Storms Never Last, this time, by an Irish Father/Daughter combination, ...

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    “THE HAG” – By Des Kelly Quite possibly, one of the best know names in “Country Music”, certainly, one of my top favourites, he was a Songwriter, Singer, fiddle-player, and guitarist, all in one, and, like so many other great Country Icons of America, had a tough life, not only before he became a “Star”, but even after~ when many pretty young ladies (he married five of them), gave him a hard time, trying to keep him toeing the line, which he refused to do, even when it was for his own good. I have always admired Merle Haggard, God rest his Soul, as he died exactly 79 years after he was born, he passed on to the old Opry in the sky, on his 79th birthday.           There are definitely many more amazing things about this guy, who will always be fondly remembered ...

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“STORIES IN SONG” SERIES 2019 –  “SAM, THE MAN” – By Des Kelly  George Jones, alias “no-show Jones”, or “the Possum”, has, and always will be, one of the greatest Country Icons that America can boast of, and deservedly so, because he could sing a song that would go straight into the hearts of thousands of his listening audience, either on-stage, or via the hundreds of Radio Stations of the US, committed  24.7, to ONLY Country Music. George Jones died in April, 2013, & his fans lined up for kilometres around, just to glimpse his body for the last time. Thousands gathered in the Streets around to salute the hearse as he went on his last ride.  He was 82 years old.    I will feature George Jones himself, later on, but, even before he died they were singing songs titled “Who’s gonna fill their shoes”?, and many, were the Country ...

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