User:RonKeely

Ron Keely is a singer/songwriter who started the band Mojo Gypsy. His music is fusion of blues, rock and soul. Ron started singing along to songs on the classic rock radio station at a very young age. His mother's extensive album and eight track collection also influenced his musical abilities. When he was 12 years old, Ron's mother purchased his first guitar for him. He simultaneously taught himself guitar while also learning to sing along and write songs by spending hours alone in his attic bedroom. Ron read chord charts from Beatles song books. After years of practice Ron started playing along with other local musicians where he learned various rhythms. At 16 Ron played his first live gig at a bar in Easttown- Grand Rapids, Michigan. He played songs by the Eagles that had gotten a warm reception at parties but was not recieved warmly at the bar. After just three songs he was asked to get off the stage. This did not discourage Ron who went on to play parties and bars all over west Michigan. Ron worked various jobs while playing music with many different musicians of all genres. His short lived experience with heavy metal and hard rock left him with the musicians that made up the Ron Keely Band. This was where Ron expanded his guitar playing from rhythm to lead and he worked on his blues licks. This was his first experience leading a band. The Ron Keely Band played bars and parties all over west Michigan and made several recordings throughout the nineties. Ron's marriage to his wife Sheila halted his musical interests for seven years while they worked and studied at a community college. Sheila had three children and Ron adopted the youngest. But, after studying and listening to the music of Jimmy Buffett, Ron's musical interests were once again piqued and he bought the necessary equipment to start gigging at bars again. It was during this time that Sheila's brother Johnny drowned which lead to the writing of the song "Forever In Our Hearts" which Ron performed at Johnny's funeral.Sheila's mother Linda survived two bought's of cancer at this same time which ultimately lead to the solo recording "The Impact of Waves". Sheila's sister Jessica began managing Ron's musical interests and was solely responsible for his popularity on the internet when she designed and managed several web sites and posted videos and pictures of Ron and the band.