Paul Kelly (born June 19, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for the

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

songs "Stealing in the Name of the Lord", which was a major hit in 1970, and "Hooked, Hogtied & Collared". He also wrote " Personally", which has been widely

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of ...

, and was a hit for soul singer Jackie Moore and singer-songwriter

Karla Bonoff Karla Bonoff (born December 27, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter. While Bonoff has released a number of albums, she is primarily known for her songwriting. Bonoff's songs include "Home", covered by Bonnie Raitt, " Tell Me Why" by Wynonna Ju ...

and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

singer

Ronnie McDowell Ronald Dean McDowell Sr. (born March 25, 1950) is an American country music artist. McDowell charted more than 30 top-40 hits on the ''Billboard'' country music charts. Two of his singles – " Older Women" and " You're Gonna Ruin My Bad Reputati ...

. Other songs have been covered by

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

artists, including the

Mighty Clouds of Joy The Mighty Clouds of Joy were an American traditional gospel music quartet. Career The Mighty Clouds of Joy was formed in 1959 in Los Angeles as a tradition-based style group. It wasn't until 1961 as the group became famous, they added bass, ...

and

The Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American Gospel music, gospel, soul music, soul, and Rhythm and blues, R&B singing group. Pops Staples, Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group w ...

Early life

Kelly was born in Overtown Miami, Florida, the fourth of six siblings. Kelly was brought up by his grandmother. In about 1956, Kelly's brother Henry formed a vocal group, with Paul as lead vocalist. It only lasted a few months, before Henry left Miami to go to college. Paul then formed a group with school friends from 20th Street School — The Spades, later known as The Valadeers. Another member was Jimmy Cherry, who later sang with The Fantastics.

Solo career

In 1960, Kelly left the group to go solo, recording the standard, "I'll String Along with You" for Dade Records, which was never released, following a dispute between Kelly and the label. A Miami-based singer-songwriter/producer, Clarence Reid (who would later perform as Blowfly), heard Kelly rehearse, and asked him to fill in on lead vocals with his group, The Delmiros, whose lead singer had laryngitis. Kelly recorded a single, "Down with It, Can't Quit It"/"Sooner Or Later", which was released on Selma Records in 1963, under the name Clarence Reid & The Delmiros. Kelly began performing the song live in clubs and became associated with the song. Reid asked him to join The Delmiros on a permanent basis. Kelly's official debut solo single, "It's My Baby" b/w "The Upset," appeared on the Lloyd label in 1965. It was inspired by the surprise boxing victory of

Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

over

Sonny Liston Charles L. "Sonny" Liston ( – December 30, 1970), nicknamed "the Big Bear", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. A dominant contender of his era, he became the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1962 after k ...

. A second single, "Chills and Fever," written by Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke, was picked up by Dial Records and distributed by

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

. Relations between Kelly and Reid became strained. Nashville producer

Buddy Killen William Doyce “Buddy” Killen (November 13, 1932 – November 1, 2006) was an American record producer and Music publisher (popular music), music publisher, and a former owner of Trinity Broadcasting Network and Tree International Publishi ...

, who had also fallen out with Reid, approached Kelly about working together. Meanwhile, Lloyd Records issued an

answer record An answer song, response song or answer record is a song (usually a recorded track) made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s to the 1950s. Answer son ...

, "Thrills and Chills", by Helene Smith. Kelly released a third single, "Since I Found You" under the name Paul Kelly & the Rocketeers. After this, Kelly released four singles on

Philips Records Philips Records is a record label founded by Netherlands, Dutch electronics company Philips and in 1999 was absorbed into Netherlands, Dutch-United States, American music corporation Universal Music Group. It was founded as Philips Phonograph ...

, produced by Killen in

Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...

, including a ballad, "Nine Out of Ten Times," written by Kelly, Reid and Clarke). Meanwhile, Dial had released two singles by

Joe Tex Yusuf Hazziez (born Joseph Arrington Jr.; August 8, 1935 – August 13, 1982), known professionally as Joe Tex, was an American singer and musician who gained success in the 1960s and 1970s with his brand of Southern soul, which mixed the style ...

, one of which,"We're Gonna Make It," was co-written with Kelly. At the time, Kelly often opened for Tex on tour. In 1967, Kelly decided to move to

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York City, and invited a songwriting collaborator, Juanita Rogers, to join him. They became a couple and moved in together. Kelly cut material in 1968 for Stan Watson's Philly Groove label, but it remains unissued.

"Stealing in the Name of the Lord"

Kelly wrote "Stealing in the Name of the Lord", with

Sam & Dave Sam & Dave were an American soul and R&B duo who performed together from 1961 until 1981. The tenor (higher) voice was Sam Moore (1935–2025) and the baritone/tenor (lower) voice was Dave Prater (1937–1988). Nicknamed "Double Dynamite", " ...

in mind. However, Sam Moore, whom he had known in Miami, rejected it. The song, whose title references "

Papa Was a Rollin' Stone "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a song originally performed by Motown recording act the Undisputed Truth in 1972, though it became much better known after a Grammy-award winning cover by the Temptations was issued later the same year. This la ...

", tackles the hypocrisy of

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

leaders. It includes the lines: "That's been my way of thinking all the time," Kelly said about the song. "Thinking about what's wrong with hechurch... And what they talk about and what they do are two different things..." Kelly sold the rights to the song to Buddy Killen, and recorded it at Muscle Shoals. Killen got it released through the Hollywood-based Happy Tiger Records. However, R&B radio stations were worried that the song would offend sponsors, such as those on

shows. The record was consequently slow to take off. Around the same time, Annette Snell, recording as Annetta, released "Since There Is No More of You," a single written by Kelly, who sang background on the release. "Stealing" received a push from Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams Jr., who was about to undertake a promotional visit to

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Along with Kelly, he visited a WWIN radio DJ, Rockin' Robin. Although Kelly was now trying to push the b-side, "The Day After Forever", Rockin' Robin liked "Stealing," and played it several times in a row. As Kelly recalled, "Everybody started calling in and I never looked back after that." The single first appeared on the '' Cashbox'' R&B charts on June 13, 1970, and in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' a week later. It peaked at No. 5 (''Cashbox'') and No. 14 on ''Billboards

Best Selling Soul Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...

chart and No. 49 on the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

. The song was covered by

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1943) is an American singer and actress. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Grammy for ...

on her eponymous 1972 album, ''Thelma Houston''. The song also became popular in England's

Northern Soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

club scene and in the 1980s became the basis for a song of the same name by an English

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

band, Yeah Yeah Noh. Despite Kelly's stand in the lyrics of "Stealing in the Name of the Lord", another of his songs, "God Can", has been recorded by the

Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February 2 ...

, the

and Dorothy Norwood.

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel music, gospel singer and civil rights activism, activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving memb ...

, also cut solo versions of Kelly's "We Got Love" and "I've Been to the Well Before" songs on her 1979 solo album, ''Oh What a Feeling'' (produced by

Jerry Wexler Gerald Wexler (January 10, 1917 – August 15, 2008) was a music journalist turned music producer, and was a major influence on American popular music from the 1950s through the 1980s. He coined the term "rhythm and blues", and was integra ...

and

Barry Beckett Barry Edward Beckett (February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009) was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in the ...

The 1970s and 1980s

In the wake of Kelly's major hit, Happy Tiger quickly released an album and three singles, but the label was in financial trouble and went out of business in 1971. Kelly was signed by

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

, which reissued the Happy Tiger album in 1972 as ''Dirt'', taking the name from the single, "(He Ain't Nothin' But) Dirt". Kelly's third Warner Bros. Records single, "Don't Burn Me" (1972), was also a minor hit. It was followed by an album of the same name. A 1974 single, "Hooked, Hogtied & Collared" was his second biggest self-recorded hit, and it too inspired an album by the same name, with controversial artwork — a drawing depicting bondage. With

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

on the rise, Warner Bros. Records forced out Kelly's preferred producer, Buddy Killen. Kelly recorded with

Gene Page Eugene Edgar Page Jr. (September 13, 1939 – August 24, 1998) was an American conductor, composer, arranger and record producer, most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. His sound can be heard in the arrangements he did for Jeffer ...

(

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

's co-arranger), but the material was never released. These events signalled a more general disagreement between Kelly and his record company, and the relationship was terminated. After a single for

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

, "Everybody Got a Jones"/"Shake Your Mind", Kelly decided to concentrate on songwriting and production. He did not perform live after 1977. At around this time, Kelly also wrote a song called " Personally", which he gave to Jackie Moore. Although it was not a major hit for her,

recorded the song in 1982 and scored a No. 19 pop hit. Kelly recorded "Personally" on his 1993 ''Gonna Stick and Stay'' album.) In 1983, Kelly started his own independent label, Laurence Records, using the pseudonym "Laurence Dunbar". The label had a minor hit with "Bring It on Home to Me", sung by Carol Dennis and written and produced by Kelly, in 1984/85. (He wound up the label in 1991.) In the late 1980s, Kelly and his family moved from Brooklyn to

Ruby, South Carolina Ruby is a town in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 307 at the 2020 census. History Originally named "Flint Hill", Ruby was first settled in 1875. As with other nearby towns, it didn't develop until the rai ...

. Kelly continued to send out demos to labels.

Return to recording

Kelly recorded an album, ''Gonna Stick and Stay'', in New Orleans in July–August 1992. In 1994, he suffered a heart failure and another in 1995, as well as a stroke. His vocal range suffered as a result of his health problems, which also caused Kelly to become a vegetarian. Warner Bros. Records issued a 1996 CD titled ''The Best of Paul Kelly'' as part of their Warner Archives series. Kelly recorded the 1998 album ''Let's Celebrate Life'' in South Carolina and released it on Ripete Records. It included a remake of "Stealing in the Name of the Lord". In late 2011, Kelly released an album titled ''1984'', containing unreleased songs he recorded in that year.

References

External links

"Paul Kelly"
(annotated discography, with images of record sleeves), ''Soul Cellar'' (website), 2003.

''In The Basement'' (magazine), 2003 (reprinted by ''Soul Cellar''). {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Paul 1940 births Living people African-American male singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters American soul musicians American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from Florida 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers