User:Kmelby1967

Born June 6th 1967 to Kenneth Melby Sr. and Barbara (Canfield) Melby. Keni (Kenneth Melby Jr.) showed signs of musical talent at the young age of 5 years old when his Mother taught him to sing a duet with her for a special church number. By age 8 Keni was learning the violin. At age 9 Keni was convinced by his elementary band director Mr. Magruter to switch to cello. Keni continued to play the cello through the 8th grade. At age 10 Keni was given an acoustic nylon string guitar to play around with. Keni's father was able to teach him the basic chords and then bar chords. At that point Keni started taking lesson's from local guitar teacher, Tony Surrano. Tony taught some of the basic notes but Keni kept asking him to show him how to play songs. Keni took lesson's for a few month's before realizing that he had the ability to listen to a song and then play it by ear. This prompted him to spend his time learning songs from the families small record collection and whatever he could get his hands on.

By the age of 14 Keni had the opportunity to finally play his first professional gig. His second cousin, Morgan Jenkins was is a local variety band and she had him play at a local country club for the last few songs of the night. She paid him $20 and Keni was on his way to playing for pay. Soon after this gig Keni was offered a permanent gig with a new top 40 group of local musicians ranging in age from 14 to 32. The band was called Prophecy and the lineup was Keni Melby on rhythm guitar, Mike Pappas on lead guitar and vocals, Paul Mullenix on drums, Sandy Black sang lead vocals while Dave Tyrell played bass guitar and Larry Eckardt played sax and keys. This band played for about 6 months before evolving into the next music venture called Heather. This band switched drummers to Steve ?, the lead guitar player was now Jimmy Allen and the lead singer was now April Blickenstaff. The rest of the band stayed the same. Heather's trademark was "Heather... It's only Rock n' Roll". This band played the local music circuit for about 1 1/2 years before changing some of the players and then disbanding.

By this time Keni was playing in the High School Jazz Band led by Music Director Brad Smith. Keni built his style and finesse based on the experiences of the bands he played in so far. By the age of 18 after high school graduation, Keni got back with some old friends to form a new band called "Pocket Change". This band was a Top 40 band which included Paul Mullenix on drums/vocals, Sandy Black-Mullenix lead singer, Earl Conrad on Bass guitar/vocals, Dave McSherry on guitar/vocals. This band played with this lineup for about 1 year before Keni and Dave would leave the band to play the music they enjoy listening to which was metal. Keni and Dave started up a couple of bands together but could not get anything working outside of the garage.

Keni then joined a local working Top 40 band called "Topaz" with existing members Rick Stevens on Drums/Vocals, Velessa Stevens on Bass Guitar/Vocals and Dale Birmingham on Guitar/Vocals. This band had been around for many years and had grown in popularity and easily booked week after week. Keni stayed with this band for about a year before leaving to work as an independent contractor with a couple local sound and lighting companies and hit the road for about 6 months supporting many major headline acts including AC/DC, GWAR, MOLLY HATCHET, JOAN JETT, SAWYER BROWN, DAVID ALLEN COE.

Keni returned to his hometown and got back with Pocket Change but this time as their soundman. This arrangement worked out well for about a year then Keni joined Local band "Syde II" consisting of Kenny Jackson on drums, Earl Conrad on Bass Guitar/Vocals, Jason Chalfant on guitar/Vocals, as soundman with, Lenny Jones on Keyboards, Morgan Jenkins/Jones on Sax/Flute/Vocals and Jimmy Foltz as Lead Vocalist/Frontman. This band last for a few months until Lenny Jones and Morgan Jenkins/Jones left to join another local band called "The Holders". At this point Keni took up playing Keyboard to finish out the band and Jason Chalfant ran sound on stage going forward which lasted about a year before dissolving.

Keni then decided that forming his own band "Hush Hush" with friend Jon Atherholtwas the direction he wanted to go. The first group consisted of Keni on Guitar/vocals, Jon Atherholt on Bass Guitar/Vocals and Mark Grove on Drums/Vocals. After 1 year Mark Grove left the band to play in a country band called "Buffalo Thunder" and was replaced by Lee McIntyre. Lee played with "Hush Hush" for about 5 months before being replaced by Billy Jones formerly of recording artist "Dirty Deal" and "Cracked Actor". Once Billy joined the band he quickly recruited his ex-band mate Michael Spinoe (bass player from "Cracked Actor") to play rhythm guitar and vocals. After 3 months or so the band decided to replace Jon Atherholt with Michael Spinoe on bass guitar. This combination played together for another 6 months before Michael stepped down and was replaced by Mark Schenker (currently bass player for international rock group KIX) on bass guitar and at the same time Jim Foltz was hired as their lead singer/frontman. This would be the final lineup before disbanding in the late 90's after just starting to record their original music in the studio.

Keni Melby continued to play guitar along with Billy Jones on Drums/Vocals and Kevin Lewis on Bass Guitar/Vocals and Lenny Jones (Billy's older brother) on Keys. This band worked extensively in the western Maryland region for about 1 1/2 years as "Four Play". Keni then joined a band called Split Image with Pete McIntyre on drums/Vocals, Larry Stevens on Bass Guitar/Vocals, Jerry Mellott on Keys/Vocals. This band played with this lineup for about 6 months before Jerry Mellott decided to stop playing at the end of the year so New Years Eve was the last gig. Since Jerry had left and guitar players were much easier to find than a keyboard player Keni once again decided to switch to the Keyboards and then they hired Ted Casper as their new Guitar Player/Vocals. This lineup played together for about one year until Keni decided to leave.

Keni then got together with Kevin Lewis on acoustic bass guitar/Vocals and Michael Spinoe on acoustic guitar/Vocals and the three of them formed the new band "The Mighty Midget Men" which played together for about 6 months or so. Keni and Michael about 6 months later started a duo called "The Keni and Michael Show" which played extensively for about 2 years until Keni decided he needed a break from the late night scene. For the next 10 years

Keni played in his church worship teams on guitar until 2011 when he helped his longtime friend Jay Nusbaum and his band "Street Noise" out of Frederick, MD. Their guitar player was unable to play a private Christmas party for a local business and Keni filled in on Guitar/Vocals. This led to Keni catching "The Music Bug" once again. In January of 2012 Keni ran sound for that same band and in June of that same year Keni joined forces with Michael Spinoe again at a two piece acoustic/electric act as "The Mighty Midge Men". This time around Keni and Michael were joined by Michael's brother Steve Spinoe of recording artist "Dirty Deal" on Drums/Vocals as they played some gigs with a more edgy sound. They played for a year and a half until they formed "Made in the 80's" which is an all 80's MTV music band. The musicians are Kenny Cosens on Drums/Vocals, Michael Spinoe on Bass Guitar/Vocals, Laura Moser on Keys/Vocals and Keni on Guitar and Guitar Synth/Vocals. Currently Keni plays Sundays with his church worship band at Hub City Vineyard located in Hagerstown, MD and "Made in the 80's" and occasional "Keni and Michael Show" gigs in the Tri-State area. Keni's band webpage is www.MIT80s.com