Few careers have had closer brushes with well deserved superstardom than that
of KELLY LANG—whose name and beautiful face bring instant recognition with country music fans. The title of her much
anticipated new album says it all: “It’s About Time.”
Her debut single for Destiny Row Records “Goodbye Darlin’”
is proof that for everything there is indeed a season. The heartfelt tribute to Conway Twitty comes from an artist who grew
up in the very shadow of his imposing legend.
One of four children, Kelly was born in Oklahoma. Her dad, Velton Lang,
worked with Conway Twitty as his road manager for more than 25 years. Kelly recalls: “As a little girl, I used to sit
on the side of the stage with my dad and watch Conway perform…and I remember thinking to myself, now that’s what
I want to do when I grow up!” She remembers thinking too that growing up around Conway and the biggest name in country
music was something quite natural.
Kelly recorded her first Billboard single, “Lady, Lady”
at the age of 15—filmed a video that came to the attention of CMT—and in rapid fire time was soon appearing as
a regular on Nashville’s popular Ralph Emery Morning Show.
Her teen years were a whirlwind that found the dark haired, green-eyed
beauty poised on the very edge of a break thru to major stardom. She moved to national attention as a frequent guest on the
highly popular Music City Tonight, with Crook & Chase, televised on TNN. Kelly next made the finals of Ed McMahon’s
popular weekly televised Star Search—bringing her vibrant, pure country vocal style to mainstream audiences.
Confident and comfortable onstage, Kelly Lang launched into more national
spotlights:
The Statler Brothers Show, Church Street Station, Fantasy, Pickin’
In The Paradise—she was an in demand young artist for virtually every Nashville based production of the day.
She became a semi-regular artist on Ralph’s Emery’s popular
“Nashville Now” on TNN, pulling in major viewer mail and a large national fan base.
On the road in concert, Kelly shared billings with legends such
as Ronnie Milsap, Brenda Lee, George Jones, Lorrie Morgan, Ricky Skaggs, and TG Sheppard—as well as many of the hot new artists from her own peer group. She won raves for acting roles
in commercials for Oldsmobile with fellow artist Mark Collie, and in her rare time off the road she fielded national modeling
offers.
To the music industry’s surprise, in her late teens Kelly married
and moved out of the spotlight-ultimately to have two beautiful daughters—Payton and Kennedy both of whom became the
consuming lights of her life. Although happy in the role of motherhood, Kelly still somehow never lost her desire for music
and the desire for success in the love of music that had been instilled in childhood.
While not actively touring or doing major television she reached deep
within herself to pull out a yet untapped goldmine of creativity--songwriting. Her songs were deep, sensitive and reflective—or
bright and filled with the sparkle that have become a Kelly Lang trademark. Each held an obvious spark of the heart and soul
of their writer. One of the songs—“Single Mother” (a highlight track of her “It’s About Time”
album, and expected to be released as a single)—reflected the break-up of Kelly’s marriage and the subsequent
challenges of raising her two young daughters alone.
Most importantly her songs were commercial. Commercial enough in fact
to attract the attention of Lorrie Morgan, who produced a few sides on Kelly.
With that encouragement, Kelly went into the studio a few months ago with
two major name songwriters who had become friends to craft her her own “return project.” She joined creative forces
to cut and polish six new sides—five of which were songs she had written. “We captured the exact sound I wanted—I
was true to myself—and ended up with a project I was totally proud of, no matter the outcome,” she recalls.
Through a fortunate channel the tape passed into the hands of TG Sheppard’s
bus driver—who just “happened” to know of a new label—Destiny Row Records—who were looking for
flagship artists. A&R Director, Darlene Fowler, recalls, “I could feel the energy that Kelly Lang was an artist
we were going to want to sign before I even got the tape in my hand.”
And the rest is the beginning of a wonderful new chapter for Kelly Lang.
“I had just had two dear friends pray over me that God would give
me direction—and within in few days I was signing with Destiny Row Records! For me, it was a definite ‘divine
intervention’—like God was telling me I traveled this far to find I needed to rely totally on Him all along. For
the first time, everything seems to be on the same page, at the right time!”
No “coincidence” that country music radio and fans should
have a warm re-introduction to Kelly Lang in store with her new single, “Goodbye Darlin’,” a song that is
being given the full blessing and support of the Twitty family No coincidence the song Kelly wrote is being sung by a singer
that has truly loved Conway Twitty, since she was just a little girl watching him in awe from the side of the stage.
No coincidence. For Kelly Lang, “It’s About Time.”
Special Appearances
3 time winner on Ed McMahon's Star Search
Regular on Ralph Emery's Morning Show
Regular on Nashville Now
Church Street Station
Fantasy
Regular
on Music City Tonight
Finalist on USA Network Nashville Star
Volunteer Jam
