Kelley Hunt

Kelley Hunt came out swingin’ and singin’ and did not stop moving until the end of the show. She was headline act for Emporia’s sesquicentennial celebration.

That girl can sing. She’s been on “Prairie Home Companion” several times.

Man, can she play the keyboard!

She rocked Albert Taylor Hall.

Kelley Hunt grew up in Emporia.

For three years in school, Kelley played a clarinet – but not well, she said. She hated it. Every chance she got, she sneaked into her sister’s room and played her sister’s guitar.

On her 16th birthday, her dad asked her to bring her clarinet along and get in the car. He drove her to Garrison’s Music where he told her she could trade in her clarinet for any of the guitars. Her parents and at least one sister were in the audience.

Her band was great too. Here’s the saxophonist.

She played “Roses” for the hometown crowd. “Roses” tells the story of her visits to Rose’s Grocery Store – the building still stands on Ninth Avenue between Rural and West Streets.

And she sang a song about one of her early piano teachers. I think she was 10 and the teacher was Mary with a red wig who lived at 5th and Arundel – she told the story in song. “I don’t want to take piano lessons from you,” Kelley told her. “Don’t tell me what you don’t want,” Mary replied, “tell me what you do want.” And so Mary taught her to boogie woogie.

The opening act was pretty good herself. Callie Agler Chambliss – another Emporia girl. She’s a singer at the Grand Country Music Hall in Branson.