Pat Kelley
Pat has navigated a remarkably successful music career through five
decades. In addition to playing on more than a thousand recording sessions
and recording twelve CDs as leader, Pat was the house guitarist for the final
five years of the Merv Griffin Show, following in the footsteps of former Merv
Griffin Show guitarists Herb Ellis, Jim Hall, and Mundell Lowe. He also worked
as the CBS house guitarist for the Pat Sajak Show and the New Carol Burnett
Show. In the early 90s Pat toured the world with George Benson for five years.
Other artists include Natalie Cole, Hubert Laws, Ronnie Laws, David Benoit,
Tom Scott, Al Jarreau, Burt Bacharach, Jane Monheit, Eric Marienthal, Jose
Feliciano, Mark Winkler, Richard Elliot, Gregg Karukas, Dave Koz, CeCe
Wynans, Melissa Manchester, Randy Crawford, Olivia Newton John, etc.
In 2014, Pat released “Overtones 4 Two Guitars”, an album of duo guitar
performances with Bruce Forman, Peter Bernstein, Howard Alden, Anthony
Wilson, Larry Koonse, John Storie, Frank Potenza, John Stowell, and John
Pisano. An integral part of the USC Thornton School of Music Guitar faculty
for twenty-four years, Pat now holds the title of professor emeritus.
