K.J. PROFILE - David Kelley

While there is no one person who is "Mr. Karaoke" in San Diego county, David Kelley, certainly has proven to be a major karaoke influence thus far. It is no wonder that David is a Karaoke Entertainer of the Year Winner, his shows are energetic and engaging, and his affable manner creates a friendly mood that one must experience to truly appreciate. His company, "David J. Kelley's All Starz", is also helping to make careers for some up and rising KJs, celebrity impersonators, comedians, magicians, bands, and DJs in the San Diego area.

Long Island born Kelley was the youngest of eight children. His introduction to music actually started the day he was born - everyone in his family plays an instrument and/or sings. David's instrument was to be the drums which he studied formally from a very young age for several years.

By age 10 he also began sneaking into his brother's room and learning to play his guitar; soon he started learning other instruments-in particular, the base. As his musical tastes evolved he started playing with rock bands during high school. After joining a number of different groups, he finally hooked up with other local musicians collectively known as "Mink". Although the band was clearly talented, a little luck didn't hurt and they enjoyed a successful run around the greater New York area for several years, eventually cutting a demo record.

However, in 1990, two members of the band went out to California to attend a music school in LA, and David soon followed. Although he was able to do some studio recording and achieve a certain measure of local success, David grew realistic when he did not hit the big time by the time he was 28 and started to look for other career opportunities.

With his love for automobiles, and his long history with auto repair, David soon found his way into the auto body shop business, eventually becoming the manager of a local Body Beautiful repair shop. A job which he clearly enjoyed and would have been very content with, had karaoke not come along.

It was in 1995, when Kurt Grunnan, a well known and respected karaoke host and entrepreneur, (former owner and long time host of Karaoke Party Time) first discovered David's winning stage personality at one of his clubs. After hearing David sing at several of his shows, and watching his natural stage talent, Kurt asked him if he'd be interested hosting a karaoke gig of his own. This started David off on an entirely new and successful career; with his New York roots, blonde good looks, and effervescent personality, David Kelley proved to be the perfect fit as karaoke host!

When asked what he loves most about being a KJ, David is quick to respond that it the most fun and rewarding thing he can image. "The truth is, I love the job like nothing else I've ever done. A lot of people do karaoke hosting as a side job. But, to me, being a successful karaoke host is a hard business; you really have to know what you are doing. Also, karaoke is suppose to be about having fun; I spend time visiting with customers before each show, encouraging everyone to sing. I additionally play around with fake guitars and other props on stage and banter a bit in between songs with the singers. I try to make it fun for everyone at each of my shows."

Here are some more of David's suggestion for running a successful karaoke show:

1. Maintain a fair rotation. Most singers expect a rather strict rotation. People are divided as to whether a sign up sheet or individual song slips are better. I track my singers with slips. Do whichever seems better to you, but don't play favorites. If someone has a complaint about the rotation, I don't ignore them, but I try to explain to them how my rotation works and that I'm trying to be a fair as possible. Don't take bribes to move someone up in the rotation. That's really bush league and people notice it.
2. Invest in a good sound system. This can run into some pretty decent money, but a good sound system is the best investment for a karaoke startup.
3. Don't buy cheap discs. You may be able to buff up your book for very little money by buying a lot of cheap discs, but you'll be displeased with the lyric quality, and the poor sound quality.
4. Respect your singers. People are very vulnerable when they step up on stage, and the LAST thing they need to hear about afterward is what they did wrong. If they ask for advice, if you agree to give it at all (which I generally don't) it needs to be very gentle and encouraging. Your singers trust you to protect them....don't betray their trust. If you criticize your singers, especially within earshot of them, you're dead. If you think it's funny to put others down, this job is not for you....you can only do damage. I look at it this way....anybody who gets up there deserves respect and support just by virtue of their courage alone. Whether they can sing or not is irrelevant.
5. A lot can be said for knowing your audience. If you know in advance what type of music your patrons may want, you can tailor your song selections to the crowd. However, it is always beneficial to have a mix of all styles of music.
6. Avoid dead air. Keep the rotation moving and people don't have a chance to get bored. Some shows have filler music that they bring up between singers just to keep the mood going. I personally like this, others don't.
7. Encourage your singers to have fun! The audience would much prefer to watch a mediocre singer who is entertaining, than to listen to an awesome singer who just stands there like a bored statue.
8. If you want to sing all night, walk away now. One of the surest ways to kill a show is for the host to hog the mic. It's rare that I sing more than two songs all night....the opening song, and sometimes the closing song. If there's more than 10 singers, I drop out of the rotation. The show is for the singers, NOT the host.

David went on to add, "Karaoke is my livelihood, and I want to be one of the top KJ's in the business. But like anything else, it's a give-and-take. Being a karaoke host can be one of the best jobs you'll ever have, if you have the right attitude. You can work where you want, when you want, for the amount of money you want (more or less), you make the rules and you have a lot of freedom....it's great. Plus, you have the pleasure that comes from doing a job that brings a little magic into people's lives at the same time."

When not busy at one of four clubs (with 9 regular karaoke shows!) David enjoys spending his free time with his wife Donna, whom he met at the Rainbow club in Hollywood in 1992, and their adorable 2 year daughter, Lyleigh.

It is my pleasure to recommend David Kelley as a karaoke host and entertainer of immense talent. Whether it is his professional, yet fun-loving stage presence, his true consideration for the audience, or his unique sense of musical humor, David Kelley's shows are always a real treat.