Kellylee Evans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kellylee Evans
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Kellylee Evans, 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kellylee Alverna Evans |
| Born | 7 February 1975 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Jazz, soul, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Labels | Plus Loin Music, Universal Music France, Enliven! Media |
Kellylee Evans, born on February 7, 1975, is a talented Canadian singer. She is known for her amazing jazz and soul music performances.
Contents
Early Life and Discovering Music
Kellylee Evans went to Carleton University from 1993 to 2000. It was there that she found her love for jazz music. She once said she "got lost" and found the music department.
She spent seven years at the university. Kellylee earned two degrees in Law and English. She even started a Master's degree in Law. However, she decided to focus on her music career instead. Later, she returned to Carleton University as an Artist-in-Residence. This means she was a special guest artist there.
Music Career Highlights
In 2004, Kellylee Evans won second place in a big competition. It was called the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition. Famous musicians like Quincy Jones and Al Jarreau were judges.
In 2006, she released her first album, Fight or Flight?. This album was nominated for a Juno Award in 2007. Juno Awards are very important music awards in Canada.
Juno Award-Winning Album
Kellylee's album Nina won a Juno Award. This album was inspired by the life and music of Nina Simone. A French record company, Plus Loin Music, invited her to record it. They gave her two days in their recording studio to record anything she wanted.
She released Nina in the same year as another album, The Good Girl. At this time, she was also homeschooling her three young children.
Touring and Live Shows
Kellylee has performed with many famous artists. She has opened shows for George Benson and Tony Bennett. Other big names include Chris Botti and Dianne Reeves.
She has also performed at major festivals. These include the Sunfest and the Algoma Fall Festival. In 2012, she performed at famous venues like Toronto's Massey Hall.
Overcoming Challenges
In 2013, Kellylee Evans was struck by lightning while at home. This caused her to take a break from her music career. In 2015, her friend Amanda Martinez started a special campaign. It was a crowdfunding campaign to help Kellylee with her health costs.
Later in 2015, Kellylee had another accident. She fainted and hit her head, which led to a serious condition. This made it hard for her to sing for a while. But Kellylee is very strong! She returned to singing in 2018. That year, her album Come On was nominated for a Juno Award. This album was recorded in Belgium. It explores different parts of a relationship.
She returned to performing in France in 2019. She had concerts at the Jazz Festival à Saint-Germain-dès-près. She also planned a concert tour across France in 2020.
Notable Performances
- 2007 Vancouver Folk Music Festival
- 2009 Beaches International Jazz Festival
- 2011 Edmonton Jazz Festival
Television and Film Appearances
- 4 Square (TV series) – performer/vocalist (2006-2007)
- Heartbeat (TV series), documentary, 2008
- Getting Along Famously (TV series), Episode 1-03 "Toucha My Hand" – 20 January 2006
Awards and Recognition
Awards
- Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition – 2004, 2nd place.
- Juno Awards of 2011, "Vocal Jazz Album of the Year"
- Canadian Smooth Jazz Award – 2007, "Female Vocalist of the Year"
Recognition
- Barnes & Noble Discover New Artists (selected release – "Fight or Flight?", 2006)
- Toronto Independent Music Awards – nominee (2006)
- 2007 Gemini Awards – Nominated, "Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series"
- Juno Awards of 2007 – Nominated, "Vocal Jazz Album of the Year" (Fight or Flight?)
- Juno Awards of 2018 – Nominated, "Vocal Jazz Album of the Year" (Come On)
Discography
As leader
- Fight Or Flight? – (ENLIVEN! Records, 2006)
- Fight Or Flight? (Live) – (ENLIVEN! Records, 2007)
- The Good Girl – (ENLIVEN! 2010)
- Nina – (Plus Loin, 2010)
- I Remember When – (Universal Music Group, 2013)
- Come On – (Motown, 2015)
As contributor
- Independence – by Kobo Town (2003 – track 3 "Abatina", 8 "Beautiful Soul" & 9 "Higher Than Mercy")
- The Gospel Christmas Project – (track 2 "The First Noel", track 8 "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", track 11 "Oh Holy Night" – CBC Records 3023, 2007)
- Dancing Alone: Songs of William Hawkins- 2008 – (Contributor, Track 8 "Merry Go Round")
- Embracing Voices – by Jane Bunnett (Vocalist and co-writer – track 1 "Sway", track 2 "Kaleidoscope", track 4 "Serafina" and track 12 "The Only One") – winner, 2009 Juno Award for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year
- Nomadic Injections – by Shamik – (2010 – track 14 "Lost (live)")
- The Manhattan Connection – by Various Artists, Songs of Jose Mari Chan – 2011 – (track 4, "I Have Found My World in You" and track 7, "Easier Said Than Done")
- Ottawa for Haiti – by Various Artists – (2011, Track 9, 'Still I Rise')
- Northern Faction 5 – by Various Artists (2012, Balanced Records Inc, Track 6 – "Lost" [Rise Ashen Remix])
See also
- Music of Canada
- Canadian jazz
- List of Canadian musicians
