Winzell Kelly

Winzell Kelly

    Soul music fans outside of Detroit may not know the name Winzell Kelly, but they know his music. For nearly 20 years he has been a member of the legendary Dramatics and a mainstay in the Michigan music scene.

    A Detroit native, Kelly began playing both bass guitar and saxophone as a teenager, while also singing in his church choir.  As a young man he performed around the Detroit area, and was part of the short lived group Five Special ("Why Leave Us Alone").  He also performed the the Floaters and a latter day version of the Capitals before joining the Dramatics in the late 80s.

    For the past two decades, Kelly has spent the majority of his time touring with the Dramatics, but has both written and produced outside of the group.  His solo release, Love Connection, is due out in February, 2009.

    By Chris Rizik