Kellys, they are really real

~Bunte 03/2002~

The Kelly Family completely new: At Grand Prix appears only a six-members family band without the powerful papa.

Forget everything you know about the Kelly Family. The legendary eleven-members family band, which was wearing theatre clothes   and was living in the castle near Cologne, is past. During the German preliminary decision for the Grand Prix d'Eurovision on 22^nd February appears "the new" Kelly Family - only with six members: Maite (22), Patricia (32), Angelo (20), Paddy (24), Jimmy (30) and Joey (29). They give up the castle Gymnich for quite normal flats in Cologne. And three of them have their own small "Kelly Family". Joey has an year and half old son Luke. Angelo's son Gabriel is seven months old and Patricia gave birth three months ago her son Alexander. To the Bunte interview in Bonn only Angelo is punctual; and Jimmy Kelly doesn't come - he's on holiday.

Bunte: Your 72-year old father Dan is after a brain bleeding in the hospital. How is he doing?

Joey: Already better. He had a cerebral bleeding. We don't know, if his stir comes back. But he is out of danger. Our father must now fight again and learn to speak.

Bunte: Will you appear at Grand Prix also with the fear for your father?

Joey: We'll do it and also my father. We already cared for our father ten years ago, when he needed a half year help after an impact accumulation. And beside this we also worked. As soon as he will dismiss from the rehabilitation hospital, he comes  home to us. My father cared for us, now we want to care for him. It is our obligation.

Bunte: Few weeks ago it was said that your Grand Prix song "I wanna be loved" was already published.

Paddy: We played our song last year two, three times on concerts. There fans recorded it and put in on Internet. We ourselves never published it.

Bunte: Why do you want to go to Grand Prix?

Joey: We want to thank to German fans for the large break-through we had in 1994 with "Over The Hump". And if we win, and we work hardly for it, we have good chances to bring the victory from Eurovision Song Contest to Germany. We have so many fans in Europe, from Portugal to Estland.

Bunte: At the Kellys are now the boys at power. Does your music sound now different?

Paddy: In former times our father and our elder sister Kathy had more to say. There were certain unofficial rules, for
e.g. electric guitars not so loud, no texts with provocative words. Everything had to have a clean line. The main producers of the next album are Angelo and I. We are working equally now.

Bunte: After the birth of the babies your own family was also your occupation. How important is your private life?

Patricia: We learned a lot. There was a phase, when we concentrated very much on our occupation and neglected our private life. That harmed us - in the final result and also vocationally.

Bunte: Meantime three of you have children. How did this change your life?

Patricia: I slept last night only three hours.

Joey: Me, too. Luke woke me up three times: at two, at three and at five o'clock.

Bunte: There are many people, who hate the Kellys. Do you live with some special precautionary measures?

Patricia: No. The man can cross the road and the car can crush him. The risk, that something occurs, is everywhere. I got already amusing letters, but I try to live normally. I cannot change now with 32 and become attorney. The music is my occupation and my passion.

Bunte: Paddy, you are the women's idol in the family. When do you become a father?

Paddy: In four or five years I would like to have my own family.

Patricia: That can be done faster, than you think.

Paddy: But I don't intend to marry in next years - only because eveybody does this. That must be a ripe decision. And I must have the correct partner.

Angelo: Yokefellow, Paddy. Tokefellow. (laughts)

Paddy: Okay, yokefellow. In any case a woman, I want to divide my life with and create a family. That's my dream.

Bunte: Are you still single?

Paddy: I have always something at cooking.

Angelo: Yes, Paddy. Nothing at all. Only the air.

Patricia: He likes so much some Frenchwomen ...

Maite: Laeticia Casta!

Paddy: Oh Maite, that is nevertheless cold coffee.

Bunte: You were recently in the headlines, because Joey broke the car of some girls, who pursued you ...

Joey: This girl wasn't only impudent. Meantime she apologized. She gets a new chance.

Bunte: Does the love of your fans go too far?

Paddy: Let's take football for example. If a team loses, there are types, which flog towards them therefore. Schumacher's fans cry, if David Coulthard wins. It is everywhere like that. With us it is apparently extreme.

Joey: Perhaps, because we are a family. We have the image of "saint world", but it doesn't correspond for us.

Maite: Meantime the fans noticed that we live a normal life.

Angelo: Our album "Over The Hump" was sold in Germany in 3,5 millions copies. Not everyone, who bought the CD, pursue us. That cannot be done at all.

Bunte: Pursue or follow?

Angelo: Pursue. There are some fanatics, who pester us without excuses. I think, that we needn't accept it. There is no coupon on each CD, which says: "You may trouble us at home."

Bunte: In April comes your new album "La Patata" - "the potato". Crazy title ...

Paddy: This is a restaurant in Cologne, where we ate very often. It was a neutral place in times, in which we tried to find ourselves in the family. When we had conflicts - with our father or siblings. That was two, three years ago. In "Patata" was no business and no music, only us, the brothers and sisters. The potato means also that our music and we became more mature: not primarily lords and not seemingly perfect world.

Bunte: Why were there conflicts?

Paddy: As children we knew only the life, which we led. If you become older, you ask questions. Many of us had to find out, who they are. But today there are still conflicts.

Bunte: Why?

Paddy: It is as in a relationship. Your partner has own flies and you must live with him. We are a large family. Everyone has own flies, but also strong sites.

Angelo: For example Paddy, he has only flies.

Paddy: Thousand of flies. (laughs)

Patricia: And nevertheless we appeared. That holds us together.

Angelo: In former times we were young and naive. But now we are six adults, brothers and sisters, who are working gladly together. And not only that. Also privately runs well.

Bunte: Did the music destroy your family?

Paddy: No. The music was the most beautiful thing in our lives. Many trips, organizations and the commercials, which brought us success - that was destructive.

Patricia: The business it that, what almost destroyed us.

Angelo: Yes, but only almost.

 That was once: fifteen years ago the Kellys lived and traveled in a bus. At the beginning of the nineties the clan moved into a houseboat on the Rhine. They break-through in 1994 with their album "Over The Hump" (sold almost 4 millions copies). In 1998 the family bought the castle Gymnich near Cologne, the former guest residence of the Federal Government. Father Dan got it for 6,5 millions Euro. Now the seat will become a hotel.