It was well..??? about 1970 when Bill Kelly (or, “Kelly,” as I’ve always referred to him) and I first met. I’ll get to that…but first the events that lead up to it. The story as I remember it…

I had been playing with a band called Happiness and it had just about ran its course. The drummer, Gary Ladagan, and I - fresh out of high school - decided that it was time for a change of scenery, both musically and weather-wise. We both decided that Florida would be the next step in our musical journey.

Before we set a date to leave, Gary had to wrap up his job with his uncle’s trucking firm, Tedesco Brothers, and I had to officially drop out of college. I was enrolled in a small junior college called Luzerne County Community College, but never really attended class; I was a canteen/coffee shop dweller. At least I got to know everyone, and everyone knew me.

At this time, Kelly’s girl friend Susan also attended Luzerne. She had told Vinnie Mandzak, a very dear  friend of mine, that she went out with the singer from the Buoys, who had just split into 2 camps and were taking time off to audition 2 replacements.

One of which was a bass guitar player/vocalist.

Enter my dilemma…do I investigate or do I follow thru with Florida?

Well, at the time the Buoys were signed to a major label called Scepter Records out of New York. Other Scepter artists were Dionne Warwick and B.J. Thomas, both in the height of their careers. Also, at this time, the Buoys had released a single called Timothy.

Now, to me, it was a no brainer! Find out how to get an audition…

Well, Vinnie talked to Susan, and Susan talked to Kelly and told him we should meet.

The previous band I played in, Moses, had played a few clubs in the Wilkes Barre area and had even opened up for the original Small Faces w/ Rod Stewart. All my canteen/coffee shop dweller friends were at the show. So, they all pulled for the meet, feeling this would be a perfect fit.

All Kelly remembers is me as the guy who stood on the front steps of the school entrance, trying to sell musical instruments that I wasn’t taking to Florida. He used to shake his head and laugh. I knew who he was, but he just thought I was that nut case flea market guy on the school steps. Little did he know that a short week later would be the start of the next 17 years of our lifes, which we spent basically joined at the hip!

When we were finally introduced, he laughed and I’m sure he thought this was an audition just to keep the peace with his girlfriend and her friends. So then, the stage was set.

But before we ever met, I, acting on the tip that this might happen, went to see the Buoys perform. Twice. I wrote down the titles of every song they played and instead of going to class, I would go to my buddy Richie Hartranft‘s apartment to learn all the bass parts and any possible vocal parts in my range for all of their songs.

Then the day came…Kelly approached me and asked me if I would like to audition, ‘cause he was told I wasn’t too shabby! The time and place was set, and I felt like I was ready for anything they could throw at me.

Even back then, as I fancy myself in the present, I felt it always pays to be prepared for the task at hand and there is never such a thing as wasted preparation. All my behind the scenes prep would pay off, even if I didn’t get the job - it could only make me a better player/singer in the big scheme of things. (And, here I am, 32 years later, still playin’ away!) Even the deer I hit on the way to the audition (making me ½ an hour late) couldn’t alter what was to be.

I got there and set up. They asked me if I knew any CSNY. “Sure,” I said.

Kelly said, “Wooden Ships?” and gave me a harmony part.

I said, “Let’s roll!”

It sounded great! Even at first chorus, there was something magical about the way my voice and Kelly’s came together in the lead high harmony position. Everyone in the room heard it.

Then I sang lead on Down By The River…after that it was all over but the shoutin’!

I was the missing piece they were looking for. I walked into the next room and there was Chris, the drummer, telling Kelly, “He’s the one! We got to have him!”

Oh course, I said yes, and 2 months later between Christmas and New Years, 1971 we were in New York City recording what was to be the first Buoys LP.

So there I was living in all the rehearsal locations – from a warehouse with no heat! (10 blankets and a space heater in my face to keep warm) to a dress shop and, then a barber shop (at least this place had a shower and heat!)

When Kelly’s mom and dad heard about my living arrangements, they graciously offered me a bed on the third floor of the Kelly household - I accepted. Thru the months living there, Kelly and I WERE pretty much joined at the hip! We went and did practically everything together. As we did for the next 17 years of our lives.

Then Timothy took off and we traveled and traveled - from Nova Scotia and all of the Maritime Provinces to California and the Pacific Northwest. We even had our own plane and pilot!!! Life was great…yes from Disneyland to Oh, Canada…

From that first day at the rehearsal hall we never looked back…we had our ups and downs, but eventually, the downs got to be too much, and we decided to go our separate ways in 1987. We both were just tired of each other and needed a musical change. I was the one to pull the plug, and, for a lot of years there were, unfortunately, a lot of hard feelings. Sadly, we didn’t even speak for about 8 years.

Then we sort of called a truce around the time Kelly’s dad had passed away. I called to offer my condolences. I was in Chicago and couldn’t make the funeral. I told him and his mother both, “You know I’d be there if I could.” He said, “I know you would.”

We then started talking for a brief time, which lead to him singing back-up on a song called All Thru The Night, which we co-wrote with Rick Manwiller (who played keys on the session). There we were - after 16 years of singing together, and then 8 years without a word between us, realizing the magic that our voices made together was still there. It was like riding a bike.

But, it was a short ride. A few more years passed, then once again, Danny Seraphine attempted to re-unite Jerry-Kelly. I said I would do it, but it wasn’t right for Kelly for what he was doing at the time.

Then in 1997, we had a big (6 minute) disagreement over The Last Standing Man CD. And there went another 5 years down the drain!

This past August, Melody Blvd /AORCHIVES re-mastered and reissued Dakota’s Runaway LP on CD. I was going to be in Nashville, TN on business and Scott Sosebee and my sweetheart, Annie, convinced me to call Kelly...so I did. It could have been another short call but, it turned into almost a hour, mostly filled with family conversation, like the all the lost years never even happened. Then I said, “Oh, by the way, what do you think of the Runaway re-issue?” We both agreed it sounded great and I said I’d call him when I got there. We did get together and, after 5 hours of conversation at dinner (with chaperones, of course), we kissed and made up!

It was a great feeling of relief - talking, laughing and even making some tentative future plans with a dear friend and musical brother!

All you Dakota lovers will be happy to hear that Kelly has agreed to sing back-up (or you never know!) on the new Dakota CD, entitled Deep Six, which will be out in the spring of 2003

Although a lot of senseless time has passed, it’s never too late to mend fences. I even wrote a song with Scott Sosebee for the new CD all about the fact that there will ALWAYS be a strong connection to anyone you’ve spent time with in the trenches with. The song says, “ME AND MY…BROTHERS IN ARMS…FOREVER WE'LL BE…WE STAND SIDE BY SIDE WITH FAITH AS OUR GUIDE…BROTHERS IN ARMS.”

So, there you have it - a family tree of sorts. Two strangers that came together and, in my opinion, (as well as a lot of others from all over the world) made magic! Brothers-in-arms that can now, and hopefully thru the rest of our lives, share in, if not musically beyond the present...at least in respect of each others work together and separately and what we both have done in our lives and if nothing else, as being fathers and dads to our wonderful children…

Eli, Abby, Amber, Kegan, and Jonathan (2 of whom are musicians - ##??**@@&& oh boy!!!) I know both our dads are looking down - watching over all, and are giving us thumbs up!!!

As the saying goes FILM @ 11!

The Original Jerry-Kelly: William Edward Kelly and  John “Snoozie” Hludzik  at the Runaway release party, 1984.

EDITORS NOTE: In August, 2003, Bill Kelly, Rick Manwiller, and Jerry entered a recording studio for the first time since 1984 to record several tracks for the Deep Six album. At the moment, this is just a guest appearance for Bill, but as Jerry is fond of saying, look for more FILM @ 11.