Kelly Marie facts for kids

Kelly Marie is a Scottish singer. Her real name is Jacqueline McKinnon, and she was born on October 16, 1957. She is most famous for her song "Feels Like I'm in Love", which became a number one hit in the UK in 1980.

Early Music Journey

Kelly Marie started her music training when she was just ten years old. By age twelve, she was already singing in competitions. When she was fifteen, she appeared on TV for the first time.

At sixteen, using the name Keli Brown, she was on a TV talent show called Opportunity Knocks. She won four times by singing "I Don't Know How to Love Him". Because of this, she got a record deal with Pye Records.

Her first song, "Who's that Lady with my Man", came out in 1976. It became a big hit in France, reaching number 5. It even earned a gold disc, which means it sold over 300,000 copies! Her next song, "Help Me", also did well in France. In 1976, she also sang on a song called "Sister Mary" with Joe Dolan, which was a hit in Ireland. Later, her 1977 song "Run to Me" was popular in the Netherlands and South Africa.

The Big Hit: "Feels Like I'm in Love"

Kelly Marie discovered the song "Feels Like I'm in Love" by chance. A songwriter named Ray Dorset had written it in 1977, hoping Elvis Presley would sing it. However, Elvis passed away that year, so it's not clear if he ever heard the song. Ray Dorset's band, Mungo Jerry, did record the song, but it was only on the B-side of one of their singles.

At first, "Feels Like I'm in Love" wasn't a hit in the UK. But it became super popular in disco clubs, first in Scotland and then across Britain. Because so many people loved it in clubs, Pye Records released the song again in the summer of 1980. This time, it quickly climbed the charts. It reached the top 10 on August 23 and then spent two weeks at number 1 in September!

The song was also a hit around the world. It reached number 6 in Austria, number 2 in Belgium, number 6 in Australia, number 5 in Germany, and number 3 in the Netherlands and Ireland. It even made it to number 10 on the US Dance chart in 1981.

Life After the Hit

Even though "Feels Like I'm in Love" was a huge success, Kelly Marie didn't become a massive superstar. Her next songs in the UK didn't do as well on the charts. However, she kept making dance music and stayed popular in clubs around the world.

She took a break from recording music in 1984. Around that time, she met her husband and started a family. She has five daughters and one son!

After some time away, Kelly Marie recorded a new version of "Feels Like I'm in Love" in 1997. She also made dance versions of other famous songs like "Rescue Me" and "I'm in the Mood for Dancin']". Her last known recording was in 2002, when she teamed up with singer Tina Charles to remake "To Sir With Love".

On May 7, 2005, Kelly Marie appeared on an ITV show called Hit Me, Baby, One More Time. She sang "Feels Like I'm in Love" and "Oops!... I Did It Again". She hoped to win and get a new song released, but the audience voted for another singer, Chesney Hawkes.

Music Albums

Here are some of the albums Kelly Marie has released:

Studio Albums

• Who's That Lady with My Man? (1976)
• If I Can't Have You (1978)
• Do You Like It Like That? (1979)
• Feels Like I'm in Love (1980)

Collection Albums

• The Best of Kelly Marie (2002)
• Feels Like I'm in Love – The Ultimate Collection (2007)

See also

• List of disco artists (F-K)
• List of Scottish musicians
• List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
• List of performers on Top of the Pops