Where It All Began...
The group had its origins in May 1965 when Daniel Kelly Sr. and his first wife Joanne left their native United State with their children Danny, Caroline, Kathy and Paul, and settled in Spain, where Daniel opened an antique shop
First wife, Joanne (Jenny)
Kelly and his wife Joanne separated, with Joanne returning to the US, and Kelly entering a relationship with Barbara Ann Suokko (a prima ballerina), who he was to marry in 1970.
On November 1982 a sadness came over The Family in Belascoain, their mother left for a better world. Her last words were "Keep On Singing".
A Spanish woman that attended at the funeral has said "As the casket was lowered into the ground the children screamed and cried hysterically, it was horrible, it was the worst experience in my life!"
They buried her up on a hill near the church and by the stones they engraved this text on the grave...
Barbara Kelly/10th November 1982/mother of fourteen/all with her mother/all the children of the world/.
They handpainted 14 hearts on the grave and then follows a messages from Dan "All my sufferings of my whole body to her sacrifice".
All the Kelly children wrote their names on the grave with their fingers.
And one of the children put on the grave the stone statue of a ballerina.
Here are a list of some songs, written by the Kelly Family in later years dedicated to their mother.
Motherless Child - 1991
Oh Johnny - 1993
She Is Crazy - 1994
Calling Heaven - 1996
Angels Flying - 1997
Hallelujah (To My Mama) - 1998
Mama - 2000
A Spanish woman that attended at the funeral has said "As the casket was lowered into the ground the children screamed and cried hysterically, it was horrible, it was the worst experience in my life!"
They buried her up on a hill near the church and by the stones they engraved this text on the grave...
Barbara Kelly/10th November 1982/mother of fourteen/all with her mother/all the children of the world/.
They handpainted 14 hearts on the grave and then follows a messages from Dan "All my sufferings of my whole body to her sacrifice".
All the Kelly children wrote their names on the grave with their fingers.
And one of the children put on the grave the stone statue of a ballerina.
Here are a list of some songs, written by the Kelly Family in later years dedicated to their mother.
Motherless Child - 1991
Oh Johnny - 1993
She Is Crazy - 1994
Calling Heaven - 1996
Angels Flying - 1997
Hallelujah (To My Mama) - 1998
Mama - 2000
Caroline & Danny Kelly
The couple had their first child together, John Michael Kelly on March 8th 1967.
On November 25, 1969 - their daugther, Maria Patricia was born.
The couple went on to have 6 more children, and The Kelly Family was born.
Dan and Barbara taught their children from the very beginning to sing and dance and explore their inner talents. Barbara home schooled the children and taught them ballet and Dan taught them languages and instruments. The lived quite primitively, no running water or electric in Spain.
“As we carried her from the church to her place on the hill, we remembered she told us to keep on singing no matter what. So through bitter tears we sang this her favourite song and kept on singing through at all.” - Dan Kelly
What was the song? Madre Tan Hermosa.
What was the song? Madre Tan Hermosa.
Funeral Of Barbara Kelly
Barbara Kelly's Grave
Dan went on to manage his children, and watched them reach the peak of their fame in 1994.
On October 5, 2002 Dan Kelly passed on after a long struggle with illness.
On October 5, 2002 Dan Kelly passed on after a long struggle with illness.
