Kelli Rae
It hasn't been an easy journey. From growing up an only child raised by her grandmother and father, to battling self-esteem issues, Kelli Rae has overcome many obstacles in her life by the grace of God. Such is the subject of her songs: the healing that only God's love can provide, and the miracle of a life of worship. Kelli was born and raised in Mesa, AZ, a city right outside of Phoenix where the gift of music in her life was nurtured. She was raised in the church, sang in the church choir, and knew by the age of 12 that someday she wanted to write and sing "gospel" music as a career. At age 15, after singing a solo at a city-wide Thanksgiving day event, she was approached by national recording artist, Eddie James, who asked her to go on tour with his ministry, called Colorblind at the time. Her grandmother said no because she was too young, but the dream of someday ministering through song at the national level never died. After high school, Kelli was sidetracked and followed misplaced dreams of becoming a doctor, but she soon discovered that ministry was her first passion and nothing else felt quite right.
After college, the journey took a sharp turn to Minnesota where Kelli accepted an internship, working in a research laboratory. At the same time, she joined a community choir, called Nu Friends, headed by James Grear, from James Grear and Company. She was given a solo at the choir's first live recording in 2003. Kelli continued to sing faithfully with Nu Friends, also leading worship before each rehearsal until 2005. In 2005, Kelli joined the gospel ensemble, Darnell Davis and The Remnant. Darnell Davis has written and produced for many national artists, including Tarralyn Ramsey, Excelsior choir, and Ricky Dillard. In this group, Kelli was able to travel to various states singing. She also co-lead a song, The Worship Medley, which was the top selling download on iTunes for the album, Psalms of the Remnant.
Just as the musical career seemed to be heading in the right direction, God spoke to Kelli's heart and told her it was time to change pathways. God dealt strongly with Kelli about branching out as a solo artist. She had been writing songs for years, but had never focused solely on her own music career. God said it was time. As a teacher working at a music school, it was easy for Kelli to find the right people to help form a band. Some of her students are a vital part of the ministry: two are her background singers, and her 17-year old keyboard player is also her student, whom many local musicians refer to as The Beast. With her band, Kelli has done various gigs around Minnesota, including a full live recording on March 21st, 2009, at a Christian club, Club 3 Degrees.
It is hard to classify Kelli's musical style, as she is extremely unique. She is not your everyday, regular gospel artist. With breathtaking ballads like "Beautiful in His Eyes", and soulful/jazzy selections as "Like Water Falls", it is difficult to compare Kelli to anyone else in the industry. Her songs may not always make you shout, but they will always make you think about your relationship with God, reflect on your life, and worship the God of your salvation. Her life and her experience are evident in every song, as God has inspired each and every one, and continues to do so on a recurrent basis.
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