Charles Kelley
Charles Burgess Kelley (born September 11, 1981) is an American musician who is the co-lead vocalist and founding member of the country music trio Lady A, which was formed in 2006 and are signed to Big Machine Records.[1]
Not to be confused with J. Charles Kelley, Charles Kelly, or Chuck Kelley.
Charles Kelley
Charles Burgess Kelley
September 11, 1981
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
- Musician
- singer
- Vocals
- drums
- guitar
- ukulele
- percussion
2006–present
Early life and career[edit]
Kelley was born in Augusta, Georgia, the youngest of three sons of Gayle and Dr. John W. Kelley, a now retired cardiologist. He began his musical career at the age of 11. His older brother, Josh Kelley, is also a musician and singer. As teenagers, Charles, Josh and oldest brother John formed a band called Inside Blue; the band released a five-song CD that garnered the attention of a major label.[2] In middle school, Kelley met Dave Haywood[3] and, at the age of 14, they wrote their first song. They both graduated from Lakeside High School in Evans, Georgia.
Kelley attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, where he was a member of the Nu Zeta chapter of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.[4] He graduated in 2004 with a degree in finance.[5]
Before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, in mid-2005 to pursue a musical career, Kelley worked in his brother John's construction business in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as an accountant for an affiliated waste management company.[6] Kelley made the move after his brother Josh, who was a pop musician at the time, bought a house in Nashville and convinced him to come live there so they could write songs together.[7]
Personal life[edit]
Kelley is married to music rep Cassie McConnell. The couple wed in a Nashville courthouse in late June 2009 as a legal formality before having a destination wedding in the Bahamas. After the wedding, Lady A tweeted a photo of Kelley showing off his wedding ring, saying, "What is that you see on Charles' hand... yep a wedding ring!!!" McConnell represents several country musicians, including her brother-in-law, Josh Kelley. Charles and Cassie wed on July 6, 2009. On August 7, 2015, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child in February 2016. On August 28, 2015, his wife Cassie appeared on Good Morning America to reveal her fertility struggle and also announced they were expecting a baby boy.[24][25][26] The couple welcomed their son, Ward on February 11, 2016.[27]
As a result of his brother Josh Kelley's marriage, Kelley is the brother in-law of actress Katherine Heigl.
Kelley had the lyrics, "All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise," from the Beatles song, "Blackbird", tattooed on his right forearm in early 2009.[28] In 2010, Kelley got a second tattoo, a design of the "flower of life", on his upper left arm.
In addition to being an avid golfer,[29] Kelley is a motorcycle enthusiast and owns a 2006 Harley Softail Custom.[30]
In August 2022, Lady A announced that they were postponing their Request Line Tour tour to 2023 so that Kelley could focus on his sobriety.[31] On December 23, 2022, Kelley released "As Far As You Could", a song about his struggles with alcohol.[32]