January 26, 2016
You’ve seen him around town, on your TV – he’s done commercials and plays, he’s a community activist and a former school teacher. He’s fun and funny – and I found him completely serious too, a guy who ‘knows his business’. And he recognizes he’s had some fortunate turns-of-events. Meet Dave Kelly:
He says, “I feel the struggle to live a great life is a worthy and always challenging struggle.” And while he’s enjoyed much success, there has been much struggle from humble beginnings and some fortunate breaks – being in the right place at the right time and seizing an opportunity …
Born in Ottawa (1963), moved with his family to Edmonton when he was 10. He’s #2 of 10 children; 6 boys followed by 4 girls. Mom, stayed home! Dad is in the stucco, drywall and ornamental plastering business (look for his work on the ceilings in the old-restored-historic section of Calgary City Hall). He came from a conservative home – no TV growing up. High school (“I was an average student”) in Edmonton (St. Mary’s – now called J.H. Picard), bummed around a bit – L.A. for two years, U of A for B.Ed., taught school for eight years – but theatre and acting had a stronger pull. He'd done some acting in school. After teaching language arts and drama … he was off to Toronto.
“In school I had a hard time concentrating, had a hard time fitting in. In my early days teaching, in front of kids, if you are nervous – they can eat you alive. I loved it. They’re an audience …”.
While he doesn’t brag himself up as a singer, his early stage credits were in musicals – Man of LaMancha (working with Michael Burgess), Crazy For You (working with Mickey Rooney). Work took him back to Edmonton where he did a show called Homework Hotline on Access TV. The Ralph Klein government sold Access to Moses Znaimer. It seems Mr. Znaimer saw some tapes of Dave in action, called him at midnight saying, “Dave, this is Moses” – that call that night led to a full time gig doing Help TV and learning more about the TV business …
“I didn’t want to be a grumpy old teacher one day.”
An offer from Alberta Theatre Projects brought Dave to Calgary to do a show called “Hank Williams, the show I never gave”. While lounging in the lobby of his hotel he met the Craigs from Brandon who were launching A Channel in Calgary. They came to see the show, and they liked his tapes. They hired Dave to co-host The Breakfast Show along with Jebb Fink – from ’97 through New Year’s Eve 2009. As the last-man-standing from the original group he felt he needed something new. “TV had changed so much … and I wanted to work with my brother.” Spruce Meadows TV (“there’s something about horses”), and “I love telling great stories – getting at the human story.” Their company, Kelly Brothers Productions, has a crew of eight. Their business involves Dave's productions but also has a bread+butter business doing commercials, websites, corporate videos and Dave 'as speaker, moderator, panel leader, interviewer and ring-leader' gigs.
Also in the works: a play, “Dad Day One” about his first 24-hours as a dad. “Happiest moments of my life. It’s a personal, and vulnerable, show – as good a day as I could have had.”
As our tight-time interview evaporated .. some snippets of important pivotal moments, being in the right place at the right time: doing a YPO gig in Toronto as 2nd banana to Dan Rather was exciting, made more-so when Rather called in sick. Dave ‘had to’ do the whole thing. A lucky break? Or something else?
He’s currently writing a couple of plays, and running his production company – readying a Kelly Brothers production that opens Feb. 17, Dave Kelly Live at the Grand.
Why are you successful?
“I’ve been lucky – being able to figure out/recognizing ‘things that fit’. Teaching, to acting – fit better, TV fit both. Dave Kelly Live is closest – it FITS’. I’ve always wanted to be good at whatever I was doing”.
What has held you back?
“I wish I’d not been afraid to risk more, sooner. Could have worried less, tried more …”.
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