Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Kelly Marie

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: 

Kelly Marie

In my own personal big gay church, there is a wing festooned with disco balls, strobes and a pulsing dancefloor. Here reign the Divas of the Dancefloor; a rare cultural phenomena somewhat confined to the clubs. Their siren calls beckon you forth, bewitching you with soulful sounds and inspirational words, causing your body to gyrate as if taken by a spirit. Theirs is the world of house - and by house, I mean, these ladies know how to take you to church, son. With their voices we soar and are liberated from gravity's and reality's pull.

One such diva?

Kelly Marie

She first came to attention in the UK at the age of 16, wowing them on the talent show Opportunity Knocks.

Such a unique voice. All trilling and thrilling. 

From there? It's been bright lights and throbbing beats. 

In 1980, our diva took the discos by storm with her #1 UK smash, Feels Like I'm In Love, and the world has been in love ever since!

Still, she found time to become a mum. And a grand-mum. And also served as a high school principal for a time.

For the rest of us? She remains one of our favorite disco dollies, keeping our hearts grooving and our feet moving.

The gospel according to her?

Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The Topic: Career Memories

"I have so many memories my first number one in France with Who's That Lady With My Man and hits like Help Me, Run To Me, Make Love To Me all charting in countries before Feels Like I'm In Love had even been released in the UK."

"Make Love To Me was marketed in the USA. It was released on the Vanguard Record label; same record label that also released Run To Me in the USA, but they didn't meet with much success which was a shame."

 "Love Trial didn't get the airplay even though a lot of people liked the track. Sadly, one radio station dominated the airwaves in the 80's and if they didn't like your track? They wouldn't play it! They thought Feels Like I'm In Love was stupid, but hey the public didn't and sent it to number one.

"I worked with Ray Dorset from the group Mungo Jerry who wrote Feels Like I'm In Love. We recorded some other demo's like Don't Stop and Come Deeper. I also had the pleasure of working with the late Joe Dolan Sister Mary & the Disco Diva, Tina Charles. We recorded some old tracks and gave them an up tempo beat! I loved Bobby DJ Guttadaro's remixes in the USA that he did with the songs from the Feels Like I'm In Love album especially New York At Night."

"I didn't tour with any artists. Usually just myself and two dancers, but have met so many nice people doing Television shows over the years."

"I still love performing Feels Like I'm In Love. After all these years it still gets people on the dance floor at parties, Discos, etc. Most DJ's still play it after all these years so that can't be bad things can it?"

"When I do a show and see people dancing and singing along with my songs that makes me happy!" 

Who's That Lady With My Man - Kelly Marie

Feels Like I'm In Love - Kelly Marie

I'm On Fire - Kelly Marie

And one last parting shot...

In 1974, at the age of 16 and appearing under her original name, Kelly Brown, Kelly Marie made a huge splash on the popular primetime talent show, Opportunity Knocks. Her fresh-faced performance made television history as the first singer to get a perfect 100 on the show's 'clapometer.'

"I have been trying to get a hold of the footage for decades. I have all my other TV shows that I done over the years - and I have done a lot all over the world. That is the one that I have always wanted but never been able to get."

"So I wanted to ask anyone out there if they maybe had it somewhere on an old video tape as it would be amazing to see it after all these years."

“It would be so nice to show it to my children and my grandchildren."